NNPP, APC chieftain reject pre-election polls

Aliyu Waziri, a leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), has disregarded pre-election polls that showed Peter Obi, the presidential candidate for the Labour Party (LP), in the lead. The polls were conducted prior to the presidential election on February 25.

The chieftain criticized the results and called the former governor of Anambra State a “learner” who lacked the necessary organization to win.

At a briefing on the public presentation and launch of the book “Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu: Builder of Leaders,” written by APC chieftain and political commentator Aliyu Butu and focusing on the leadership style of APC presidential candidate Bola Tinubu, he made this statement.

Recall that in a number of polls conducted by national and local organizations, Obi came out on top over Tinubu, Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP).

Waziri, the co-chairman of the organizing committee for the event, responded by saying that while Obi is a good team player, he cannot win the presidential election due to ground realities.

Projections are just that, he declared. Obi is a good teammate, but he is still developing. To ensure Tinubu’s victory, we are working day and night. Nearly 99 percent of the general public supports us, and we have about 21 governors on our side. What counts is our candidate’s family history. Consider what he accomplished in Lagos. When elected president, he will undoubtedly continue what he started in Lagos, which now has the largest economy in all of West Africa.

In a statement, the book’s author, Butu, claimed that Tinubu was the only candidate for president who was better at producing men of superior character.

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Adding that “he will be sagacious, strong-willed and effect the needed change in the country,” he promised that the former governor of Lagos State would perform better as president than his rivals.

“He (Tinubu) has helped a lot of us here, as well as others who hold various offices. Before Tinubu made his intention to run for the top job public, I already began writing this book. He’s known to us as a father and a mentor.

“I want to show the entire world who Asiwaju is and how he has supported the development of leaders in Nigeria from various ethnic and religious backgrounds. Asiwaju has undoubtedly built a large network of allies, including the Vice President, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, governors, and lawmakers.

“Tinubu helped Buhari get through a difficult time and ensured that he became president when he was being frustrated by political capitalists and military elites. I think Asiwaju has the ability to change things, and we’ll keep supporting him.

According to the NNPP’s spokesperson, Agbor Major, the majority of polls provide false results that are intended to elevate particular candidates to the position of front-runners.

The fact that the majority of media outlets have fallen for this joke, which has significant ramifications for the legitimacy of the elections and the nation’s security, is more concerning, he said. While the media cannot be held responsible for publishing these false opinion polls, they should exercise caution when embracing these lies in their reporting.

These phony organizations that are conducting the polls may be doing so to: “Conspire with some candidates to mislead the public and give undue advantage to some preferred candidates.

“Impersonate the undecided voters to divert their focus to a winner with dubious praise. Encourage supporters of rival candidates to switch their allegiance to the falsely acclaimed front-runner.

“Set up a booby trap for a possible crisis if the criminally supported candidate loses by claiming the election was rigged.
We must not quickly forget the events of 2011, when the nation was plunged into an unavoidable crisis due to allegations of election rigging based on phony polls circulated in the run-up to the vote.

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“Many lives and properties were destroyed as a result of the authorities’ lax enforcement and the evil of fake pollsters. As a result, it is important to urge all of these people who promote phony public opinion polls to stop putting the nation at risk of a crisis. We also urge security agencies to be aware of their duties and to take a greater interest in the activities of the shady social media public opinion polls warriors.

We cannot stand by while egotistical and dishonest people release phony opinion poll results, which are just as risky as phony election results, adding to the already tense situation we are experiencing in our beloved nation. They are a recipe for governmental instability, anarchy, and crisis.