By FEMI OGUNSHOLA

Rivers opinion poll conducted by ANAP Foundation has released possible outcome of the Rivers governorship election slated for March 11.

The poll was conducted in collaboration with NOI Polls Ltd. for Rivers and concluded in February before the Presidential elections.

Mr Atedo Peterside, the President, ANAP Foundation, said in a statement in Abuja on Wednesday that Mr Siminalayi Fubara, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate “is the most likely candidate to succeed Gov. Nyesom Wike”.

He said the results showed a significant lead for Fubara with 20 per cent of voters proposing to vote for him if the governorship elections were to be conducted today.

He said 11 per cent proposed to vote for Sen. Magnus Abe of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) who fell in second place, adding that Mr Tonye Cole of the APC candidate was third with 10 per cent.

He said that Mr Dumo Lulu-Briggs of the According Party came fourth with 6 per cent of voters proposing to vote for him.

He said Fubara’s 9 per cent point lead at this stage was significant but not sufficient to separate him from a pack of candidates scoring 11 per cent 10 per cent, 6 per cent among others.

Peterside described it as a severely fragmented race, adding that undecided voters and those who preferred not to reveal their preferred candidates added up to a whopping 24 per cent.

According to him, this is likely due to the fact that the PDP is the most popular political party in the state and the current governor is a member of the party.

“As such, the PDP is likely to maintain its hold on the state and Fubara is the most likely candidate to win the governorship race,” he said.

He said the primary objective of the poll was to gauge the opinions of voters in the state on the likely pattern of voting in the governorship election.

Peterside said that it also determined the key issues that would influence their voting decision. (NAN)

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