Polls conducted by an independent body have favoured All Progressives Congress (APC) having a landslide victory in the 2019 governorship elections.
The polls were conducted by Europe-based pollsters Zeus Polls, the Nation reported.
The Zeus Polls had earlier predicted the victories Anambra State Governor Willie Obiano and Ekiti State Governor-elect Dr Kayode Fayemi.
The latest findings signed by Polls Chief Operating Officer in Berlin, Germany, Tanko Suleiman, was made available to reporters in Lagos yesterday.
The polls posited that in spite of a seemingly voters’ antipathy to the APC in the upcoming 2019 general elections, the party is favoured to win the 2019 governorship elections in key states.
It noted that 51 per cent of voters polled in Kaduna State expressed a desire to return incumbent Governor Nasir el-Rufai come 2019.
“65 per cent of voters polled in Lagos State want incumbent Governor Ambode returned in 2019 while 58 per cent of voters polled in Edo State say they will return incumbent Gov. Godwin Obaseki.
“In the PDP-held Rivers State, 65 per cent of voters polled do not want incumbent Governor Nyesom Wike back in 2019, as over 47 per cent of polled voters said they will vote, a riverine aspirant of the APC if he picks the party’s ticket.
READ: Trump warns Google, Facebook and Twitter over bias
“In Kano State, only 43 per cent of voters polled are in favour of Governor Abdullahi Ganduje returning in 2019, as 60 per cent say they will vote for any candidate supported by former Governor Kwankwanso’s Kwankwasiyya Movement,” it stated.
The organisation however, said its findings on who may likely emerge as president was still uncertain but added that it would release monthly updates, on the continuous exhaustive polling on the 2019 Elections, The Nation said.
Meanwhile, some Lagos lawmakers have said President Muhammadu Buhari’s integrity would not allow him influence or gag the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the conduct of 2019 general elections.
The lawmakers spoke with NAN at their respective Constituency Stakeholders’ Meetings, organised by the Lagos Assembly simultaneously across the 40 constituencies.
The theme of the fourth edition of the meeting was: “Towards a Peaceful and Credible Election”.
The assemblymen also appealed to the National Assembly to act swiftly on INEC’s budget, to foster the conduct of credible and acceptable elections in 2019.
In his constituency, Mr Lanre Ogunyemi, member, representing Ojo Constituency II at the Lagos State House of Assembly, told NAN that the President got to power due to his integrity and would not do anything to dent his image.
Ogunyemi, who noted that Buhari remained a man of integrity, said the President would not influence INEC or the outcome of the general elections.
“The President we have came to office due to his integrity and popularity and the massive votes of Nigerians. He still has that integrity intact.
“I believe strongly that he is not the kind of person that will want to influence INEC or that will want to gag INEC to take over the control of INEC.
“This government is a government that believes in true democracy that allows participatory democracy and freedom of choice,” he said.
According to him, since the 2015 elections, the nation has been witnessing credible elections to a large extent and this must be built upon and sustained in 2019.
The lawmaker urged the Federal Government to give opportunity for INEC to be independent in the conduct of the election.
He said the delay in the passage of INEC’s budget for 2019 elections, could impede preparations and consequently the conduct of credible elections.
