A study conducted by a reputable African based research network, Afrobarometer has revealed that the 2015 general elections will be the most keenly contested elections in the history of Nigeria.
“Afrobarometer survey findings suggests that the race between the ruling People’s Democratic Party,PDP and its main challenger, the All Progressives Congress(APC),is too close to call” Nengak Daniel,
Lagos Programme Manager of CLEEN Foundation said this in Lagos yesterday while presenting the result of the study conducted last month.
Giving reasons why the forth coming elections will be keenly contested, the study added, “ Amidst public perceptions of an uneven government response to the critical challenges facing the country, Nigerians are roughly divided in their preference for the ruling party and the main opposition challengers.
‘Support for the opposition is at the highest level recorded in any Afrobarometer survey, and at the least , the challengers are set to make their strongest showing since the restoration of the multiparty elections in 1990”.
The survey was the 8th to be conducted by the body since year 2000. It was done in collaboration with CLEEN Foundation, a leading Non-Government organization in Nigeria.
According to the report, though about 78% Nigerians are eager to the polls during the exercise, Not lower than half of the electorate are worried about their safety.
On the public perception of the electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, the study revealed that there was ambivalence on capability of the INEC to conduct free, credible polls.
“Nigerians hold mixed views of the INEC. Almost two thirds(64%) believe the INEC is ready to hold credible free and fair elections,’ but overall trust in the institution is limied, with only 32% saying they trust the INEC ‘somewhat’ or ‘a lot’. Ony 32% believe that elections are ‘often’ or ‘always’ determine by a fair count of votes”, the study stated.
On the economy, the judgment of the Jonathan- led government was damning. 57% of respondents said the President has not performed excellently in repositioning the nation’s economy. 78% believed that the current administration has failed in job creation, while 68% rate efforts to provide a reliable electricity supply negatively.
Meanwhile, the government was hailed on the fight against Ebola. “94% Nigerians credit the government with a strong response to the Ebola outbreak”, the study disclosed.
