Group Calls for Disqualification of Anambra North PDP Senatorial Candidate from Online Poll Over Votes’ Manipulation

PDP Senatorial Candidate

A pressure group, Foundation of Movement for Good Governance (FMGG) is seeking the disqualification of the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, and member representing Anambra North Senatorial zone in the National Assembly, Senator Stella Odua from an online opinion poll, ‘Nigerians Decide.’

According to the group, the disqualification of the candidate which they seek, is as a result of alleged manipulation of the system to raise the number of votes she had within a short period.

Nigerians Decide, is an independent opinion poll, organized by an independent research think-tank based in the United States of America, primarily to x-ray and give hypothetical projection of the likely outcome of 2023 General Election in Nigeria.

But according to FMGG, they have detected a manipulation of the opinion poll manipulation in connection with the PDP candidate.

A non-political association actively domiciled in about 13 States of the Federation, FMGG has as its primary objective, to sensitize, monitor and advocate for transparency in making of government policies and in governance especially in implementation of government policies.

Addressing a press conference on Wednesday in Awka, the Anambra State Director of the FMGG, Dr Chuks Ogogor raised public consciousness over what he called “the use of Votebots to manipulate the result of the ongoing Anambra North Senatorial Opinion poll.”

He said as an independent CAC-registered body, they have observed with dismay, the manipulation, which he said can mar the credibility of the organizers to become a leading opinion research think-tank in Nigeria, championing good governance, by producing and disseminating credible data on public opinion to support decision-makers, policy makers and advocates.

“It marvels us why under your nose, a democratic poll is being obstructed by the use of bots to uptrend votes in favor of this highly placed individual in Anambra North Senatorial Election against other contestants.

“At about 10:38pm Thursday 29 December, 2022, this individual launched votebots to automate voter actions and perform them at scale.

“With Senator Oduah, who was ranking 2,946 votes some days ago from a reluctant and insignificant voting pace, rising to 4,600 within a few minutes, I could immediately tell that the distribution of votes is unnatural and violating an expected power law.

“This caused me to request for a recorded instance of the entire charade.

“The manipulation of public opinion polls defies every sense of the words “championing good governance”, rather it remains a critical threat to our fragile democracy at a time the entire country is in dire need of restitution,” he said.

On why the group is concerned about the online opinion poll, when it has been established that such polls do not determine the actual result of elections, Dr Ogogor explained that if the manipulation is left unchecked, it may be replicated in the actual elections.

“It has become important for us to expose this irregularity, not just to show the manipulation, but to forestall its reoccurrence during the general elections’ conduct,” he said.

The group hoped that the organizers will live up to the standards by which they have been evaluated by other Nigerians, and disassociate their corporate self from the act, by disqualifying the said candidate from the online poll on the basis of the manipulations.

He said; “This will enable well-meaning Nigerians explore the benefits of your good initiative towards making the right choice at the election polls where leaders with the sincerity of purpose are set to get elected.

“Conclusively, we condemn in its entirety, the act of manipulation of the Nigeria Decide Opinion poll.”

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