Bloomberg Poll Places Peter Obi In Clear Lead, As Campaigns Kick Off

An opinion poll conducted by Bloomberg News has placed Labour Party Presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi as the top choice to become the next president of Nigeria.

Ahead of the 2023 election, Obi, a former Anambra State governor, has become the Surprise Political figure, gaining wide popularity across the country in recent times. With presidential election scheduled to hold February next year, campaigns according to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has kicked off today, September 28, 2028.

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The Bloomberg poll indicates that a clear majority of the respondents said they intend to vote for Peter Obi, during the 2023 presidential election.

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The results of the survey conducted for Bloomberg News by Premise Data Corp. were published on Wednesday as the official campaign to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari kicked off.

Bloomberg is a well respected international organisation known for its unparalleled position for precise information on socio-economic issues on the global scene.

The San Francisco-headquartered data company surveyed 3,973 Nigerians from September 5 – 20. Respondents to the app-based poll were selected from quotas developed by age, gender and locations across the country’s six geopolitical zones. Results were then weighted against the original quotas to ensure national representation. About 44% of Nigerians own smartphones, according to the Alliance for Affordable Internet.

The candidates of the two parties that have ruled Nigeria since the restoration of democracy in 1999 (APC and PDP) fared less well in the poll.

Bola Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress picked up 16% of decided voters and 23% of those yet to make up their minds. Atiku Abubakar of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party tallied 9% and 17% respectively.

Obi is running on the ticket of the Labour Party, which won a single seat in the Senate and House of Representatives in the last election in 2019.

The APC and PDP hold major positions in both chambers of parliament.

In a relatively short time Obi left the PDP for his current base, he has built up an enthusiastic political followership known as “Obi-dients” initially online, but increasingly in the streets who aim to cause an upset on February 25 2023 when the election will hold.