by Godwin Akanfe
The Labour Party, LP, candidate in the August 9 governorship election in Osun State, Fatai Akinbade, has shrugged off his poor rating in a voters’ survey ahead of the polls as a “mere academic exercise”.
In a statement circulated yesterday, Mr. Akinbade said that his poor placement at the survey would not dim his chances of winning the election.
TNS-RMS, a member of Gallup International, had released a survey, last week, showing the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the lead in all critical indicators and the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, a distant second. According to the survey, the LP polled just 1% in the Top-of-Mind awareness, against the APC’s 78% and the PDP’s, 18 per cent.
Mr. Akinbade said that the poll’s outcome did not reflect the reality on ground as the research was not scientific, and the survey was skewed to favour a particular candidate; adding that elections were never won on the pages of newspapers.
“I remain unperturbed by any paper rating as regards our election which will come up in the next two days,” said Mr. Akinbade.
“My rating is in God’s hands and the people of the state who are waiting for this coming Saturday to elect me as their new governor. I have said it before and I am repeating it, that my emergence will shock many. I am cock-sure of this because I am more on ground.”
Mr. Akinbade also claimed that he thrives on challenges, noting that he excelled whenever underrated.
“I think I am enjoying the whole melodrama and I excel more when people underrate me. So I am not losing sleep whatsoever over the so called rating of an organisation. The real and final rating of we the contenders,will be on Saturday so let us wait till then,” he said.
However, a cross-section of prospective voters in Osogbo and Ife, may be swinging in the direction of the pollsters.
Segun, a hotel worker based in Osogbo, said that he had not even heard of Mr. Akinbade. “What does he have to offer? I don’t know who he is,” said Segun.
Idowu Ojo, a student based in Ife, said that his vote was going to go to go to the PDP candidate. When asked about the LP candidate, he said, “I have heard about the man, but I have only seen some posters, so how can I vote for someone that I don’t know?”
Efforts by this reporter to get people to express support for Mr. Akinbade’s campaign did not yield any fruit.
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