Survey Tips Ihedioha to Win Imo Governorship Race

Former Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon Emeka Ihedioha, could win the 2019 governorship election in Imo State, according to a survey conducted by Opinion Research and Communications Incorporated.

Opinion Research and Communications Incorporated is a consortium of public relations, communication, management and public education professionals, led by public opinion and research analyst, Dr. Chuks Osuji.

Ihedioha edged over 35 governorship aspirants vying for the number one job in the state.

Osuji, said the research, which was conducted across the 15 local governments in Imo State, met all criteria used in conducting a credible survey which was anchored on three factors “name recognition”, “electability prospect” and “performance perception” of the aspirants by the voting populace.

Ihedioha beat other governorship aspirants in the first factor, closely trailed by former Imo State Governor Ikedi Ohakim, Senator Ifeanyi Araraume and Chief Okey Ezeh, with Ike C. Ibe, incumbent Deputy Governor, Prince Eze Madumere, Hon Uche Onyeagocha and Governor Rochas Okorocha’s son in law, Chief Uche Nwosu.

Ihedioha, who was the 2015 governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, also beat the others in “electability prospect”, with Araraume following closely and trailed by Senator Samuel Anyanwu, Ohakim, Nwosu, Prof Jude Njoku and Steve Nwoga, The “performance perception” also rated Ihedioha above Madumere, Frank Nneji, Ohakim, Nwosu, Nwoga, Uche Onyeagocha, Okey Ezeh and Senator Araraume.

Osuji said the survey anchored its findings on several factors, among which are posing random questions embedded in the questionnaires.

“Each questionnaire contains 15 questions posed to our respondents who were randomly selected,” he explained.
“Owerri zone has 9 LGAs. But we chose 6 LGs because the zone has greater number of governorship aspirants. We also chose 3 local governments out of 6 in Okigwe zone to give the zone elasticity. In Orlu, which has 12 LGAs, we chose 6 LGAs with some obvious electoral imperatives.”

According to the survey, 72 percent of the respondents are registered voters with 64 percent taking part in the 2015 election.

“78 percent admitted that if the governorship election were held today, they are likely to vote. 10 percent of the respondents had not made up their minds whether to vote or not while 10 percent were adamantly negative,” he added, stressing, “40 percent said they would vote on the basis of political party, 55 percent on the basis of personal qualities of the aspirants while 5 percent said that they are undecided.”