Peterside: Poll Shows 40% of Nigerians Have Lost Confidence in APC, PDP

Nume Ekeghe in Lagos, Kingsley Nwezeh and Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

The Founder of Stanbic IBTC Bank and Founder, Anap Foundation, Atedo Peterside has revealed that an independent poll recently conducted showed that a growing number of Nigerians were displeased with the two biggest political parties in the country – the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

He also said concerned Nigerians have been using the GoNigeria initiative, which is a non-partisan initiative to boost and encourage youths to fully participate in the electoral process by registering to vote, voting and take part in party politics also.

Peterside said this yesterday while featuring on ‘The Morning Show’ on Arise News Channel, a sister broadcast station of THISDAY.

He explained: “In 2015 an opinion poll by ANAP Foundation showed that Buhari was very well ahead of Jonathan. You know what the opinion polls show today? It shows that 40 per cent of Nigerians don’t want APC or PDP. Now, we are following that trend.

“And I think that 40 per cent may keep rising, but it is in the hands of APC and PDP. If every day, they do more foolish things, the 40 per cent will be increasing and each of them would keep diminishing.

“Take a single thing like APC asking for N100 million, it shows many that they have lost their moral compass and that they are far detached from the reality.”

He added: “I’m just talking reality now and between the two of them, they cannot muster 60 per cent and if they go on misbehaving between now and February next year, which is a long time, that’s the only path of self- destruction.
“Please don’t forget elections are more  than president. So, if this trend continues, many of the big names in the Senate and House of Representatives may find themselves being flooded by even other parties, because they are unpopular.”
He also noted that in developed countries, if youths who are unhappy vote en mass, they usually vote against establishments, noting that there are some polling units across the country where youth who are up to voting age were being frustrated not to register youths.

He, however, expressed optimism that more Nigerians would vote in 2023. Speaking on zoning, he said it was not proper to end an unwritten agreement, saying the other zones could be marginalised.

 He said: “I think everybody accepts, and if you think I’m wrong, correct me, that zoning was supposed to be a temporary arrangement from the beginning. PDP came up with the concept and their language, implied power rotation and they said it was meant to be temporary. But the issue to discuss really is, is this the correct time to end the temporary arrangement?
“The issue we are debating is when do you end the arrangement? I asked the party for those who say after everybody has tasted it, as one logic second argument that I’ve seen party for is those who say, even if we know we must end it, the worst time to end it is after we have just had a very divisive regime. That has made so many geopolitical zones angry through their actions and inactions. So what they’re saying is that the worst time to end something is after it has been badly managed. So you almost need somebody to manage it well first, when you manage it first, tempers cool down because somebody will feel there has been fairness.”

“If people felt that you just finished manipulating the system for eight years and then now, you’re telling me it’s time to end it?”