PDP Rejects NOI Poll, Says It’s a Hatchet Job

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described the reports that the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, is leading in the opinion poll conducted by NOI Polls Limited, stating that there were no polling units in the social media.

It also described the NOI Poll as a hatchet job and highly teleguided.

In a report by the NOI Polls Limited, commissioned by ANAP Foundation in December 2022, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, was ahead of the three other frontline candidates.

The poll showed that Obi led Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC); Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP).

But in a swift reaction, Senator Dino Melaye, Spokesperson and Director Public Affairs of the PDP Presidential Campaign Management Committee, described the social media report as a hatchet man’s job.

In a statement, Senator Melaye said, “That is rubbish and a hatchet man’s job. Peter can continue to win on social media and teleguided surveys, while Atiku is winning in reality and on the ground.

“There is no pooling unit on social media or on laptops. Atiku is evangelising and spreading the gospel of a new Nigeria.

“He is speaking to the very issues bedeviling our people and offering concrete solutions. Only Atiku among the candidates can unite our country and stop the pervasive insecurity and hunger that have collapsed our economy. The survey is made in Taiwan and only good for the trash,” the spokesperson of the PDP Presidential Campaign stated.

ANAP Foundation President, Atedo Peterside disclosed in a television programme on Wednesday that Obi is ahead of Atiku, Tinubu and other presidential candidates

He said the election has moved past a three-horse race as said in an earlier poll released in September, to a four-horse race.

Peterside said Obi has 23 per cent, Tinubu scored 13 per cent, Atiku got 10 per cent and Kwankwaso polled two per cent in the fresh poll released in December.“Nobody has gained or lost more than two, three per cent. I don’t know whether that is good news or bad news but it is as if nothing has happened fundamentally, no significant shift,” he said.

Peterside said mobile phones were the instruments used to conduct the poll because of increased mobile phone penetration in the country, adding that a large percentage of people are undecided.

He also said the interest level in the next general elections is driven by economic challenges plaguing the nation, poverty, insecurity, amongst others.

He noted that the appetite of the youths in this election is high and carpeted candidates who have dodged presidential debates.

ANAP Foundation had released a similar poll in September in which Obi also led the other 17 candidates in the race for Aso Rock’s top job in 2023.