By Emma Ogbuehi
Ahead primaries by political parties for the November Anambra governorship election an online public poll has ranked Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Valentine Ozigbo, tops in a poll conducted by 9newsng.com, an online news platform. Ozigbo (PDP) polled 2,770 out of the total 13,868 votes cast, to emerge the hottest favourite.
According to a release from the Ozigbo campaign team, close to 14,000 people voted in the poll, which lasted for three days, and ended at about 3.40pm on Wednesday, June 9, 2021.
Thirteen aspirants from four political parties – the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the All Progressives Congress (APC), and the Young Progressives Party (YPP) featured in the poll, which aggregated 13,868 votes.
The PDP had eight aspirants in the poll, namely, Valentine Ozigbo, the immediate past President and Group CEO of Transcorp Plc; Dr Godwin Maduka, a US-based medical doctor; Dr Tony Nwoye, a former governorship candidate; Senator Uche Ekwunife, the lawmaker representing Anambra Central at the Nigerian Senate; Chuma Nzeribe, a security consultant; Dr Ifedi Okwenna, a former government official; Godwin Ezeemo, a business magnate; and Hon. Chris Azubogu, a federal lawmaker.
APGA had two aspirants, Professor Charles Soludo, a former Central Bank governor and Hon. Okwudili Ezenwankwo, a federal lawmaker. The APC had two aspirants Johnbosco Onunkwo, a former AGIP staff and Paul Orajiaka, a toymaker. Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, the national leader of the YPP, also took part in the poll.
Ozigbo (PDP) clinched 2,770 out of the total 13,868 votes cast, beating Soludo (APGA), who got 2,705 to 2nd place. Maduka (PDP) took 3rd place with 1,620 votes. Nwoye (PDP) came 4th with 1,209 votes, while Ubah (YPP) came 5th with 1,148 votes.
In 6th place was Ekwunife (PDP) with 987 votes; Nzeribe (PDP) took 7th place with 979 votes; Okwenna (PDP) with 708 votes in 8th place; Orajiaka (APC) got 440 votes in 9th place; Ezenwankwo (APGA) came 10th with 355; Ezeemo (PDP) in 11th place with 321 votes; Azubogu (PDP) in 12th place with 314 votes, and Onunkwo (APC) came last with 312 votes.
Aggregating the votes won according to political parties, the Peoples Democratic Party took away 64% (8,908) of the votes giving its closest challenger, the All Progressives Grand Alliance, which got 22% (3,060) a wide margin. On the other hand, the Young Progressive Party received 8% (1,148) of the votes while the All Progressives Congress (APC) trailed behind with 5% (752) of the votes.
