Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma is expected to win the governorship race handily, according to a study done by an independent agency.
The survey polled over 13,000 prospective voters across the 27 local government areas of the state and found that the governor will win overwhelmingly, with a projected margin of victory of 68%. The survey also revealed that Uzodimma of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is expected to be followed by candidates of LP with 14%, PDP with 10% and APGA with 8%.
The survey asked respondents to indicate which political party they preferred based on factors such as trust quotient, experience, believability, track record, handling of the economy, and security. A clear majority of 68% of the respondents chose Uzodimma. The governor is expected to clear the 25% requirement in all local government areas of the state. These findings were presented by Lagos-based consultancy think-tank LAKEWHYTE Communications.
“While there was overwhelming support grossing between 85% and 90% in some LGAs and others as low as 40% and 45%, the intrinsic and Germaine output and outcome is that there was no LGA where Uzodimma did not meet and surpass the constitutionally required 25%.”
With 13,500 people surveyed, an average of 500 per local government area, the 68% affirmation support for Uzodimma is representative of a total of 9,045 respondents.
The respondents were drawn from groups made up of, but not limited to, artisans, transporters, civil servants, rural dwellers, professionals, first-time voters, pensioners, students, youth, women groups, and town union leadership.
Assessing the performance of the governor, the report revealed that “When the respondents were asked to rate the governor’s performance in the following critical areas of governance engagement—education, agriculture, infrastructure, job creation, empowerment, health care delivery, environment, tourism, and security—he evened out at an average of 65% of the respondents.”
The report also observed that “contrary to the make-believe attitudinisation of the opposition political parties and their governorship candidates that they are set to effect a change by capturing more votes at the polls, the reality on the ground, based on interaction with variegated segments of the voting public, is that their adventure is a failed one even before its commencement. One of the obvious facts revealed during the survey is that each of the three opposition political parties would be dividing and sharing votes from the same pool of voters with anti-APC sentiments. Yet, they have the hope of defeating Uzodimma. This is illusory at best and a fool’s errand at worst.”
