Nigeria’s 2023 Presidential Election is shaping to be an exciting race, with the Labour Party (LP) leading with 37%, followed by the PDP with 27% and the APC with 24%, according to the latest poll by Nextier SPD, an African-based international development consulting firm.

The poll, released on Saturday, February 5, 2023, is the second national face-to-face survey conducted by Nextier SPD and shows that a significant percentage of registered voters, 72% have chosen their presidential candidate.

The poll places Peter Obi, the dark horse of the 2023 election, well ahead of his closest rivals, Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

According to the most recent Nextier Poll, Peter Obi has the greatest net favorability among the leading presidential contenders. At the same time, among the major political parties, the Labour Party has the greatest net favorability.

According to the firm’s website, Nextier SPD, employs evidence-based research and policy to create and strengthen knowledge and skills for managing society. The organisation released its first poll in November, 2022 and the Labour Party's presidential candidate emerged as the most preferred. This poll shows Mr Obi has expanded his lead in the race.

In a statement released by the Peter Obi Campaign Organisation, it thanked Nigerians for their continued support leading up to the 2023 Presidential Election.

“It is wonderful to note that the findings of Nextier’s second poll for the 2023 General Elections suggest that the message of hope of our Presidential Candidate, Mr Peter Obi, is resonating strongly with the Nigerian people,” Dr Tanko Yanusi, the Chief Spokesperson for the Peter Obi Presidential Campaign Organisation, said in a statement on Sunday, February 5, 2023.

“It demonstrates that the efforts of Nigerians from across the nation to take back their country and reshape its character and fortune to benefit all Nigerians are bearing fruit.

“We are delighted that His Excellency, Mr Peter Obi, who is seen as the burden bearer and hope for true change in Nigeria has the greatest net favorability rating among the leading presidential contenders.

“In addition, our great Party, the Labour Party, which was first mocked by institutional demagogues impeding Nigeria’s road to genuine greatness, has been deemed to have the greatest preference across various religious and non-religious groups in the nation.

“We are particularly pleased by the findings that reveal that 72 per cent of respondents have already decided on who to vote for, and 77 per cent say that they will vote in the forthcoming election.

“This development is a strong indicator that the Nigerian voter is smart, conscious and actively engaged in changing the future of our nation. It also indicates that the Nigerian people have for long anticipated the emergence of a candidate like Peter Obi blessed with the capacity to bring about real change and good governance for all Nigerians,” he added.

The statement also expressed satisfaction that most Nigerians were concerned about tackling the vexing problems of insecurity, joblessness, bad economy, and institutionalised corruption, to which its Presidential Candidate, Mr Peter Obi, has offered the most straightforward solutions.

The possibility of a runoff between Peter Obi and either Atiku Abubakar or Bola Tinubu as indicated by the Nextier survey was based primarily on the fact that neither contender is projected to achieve the criterion for an outright victory.

According to the survey, only Peter Obi’s Labour Party would be able to accomplish that in 23 states, beating out the PDP and APC.

Other outcomes of the polls were communication channels of choice and the views of Nigerians on the neutrality of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The study found that radio and the social media tool WhatsApp are the most favoured outlets for political parties ahead of Election Day.

It also revealed that 47% of respondents believed INEC would not tamper with the results, while 29% did not, and 23% were doubtful.

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