Ahead of the November 11, 2023 governorship election in Bayelsa State, an independent poll has predicted the incumbent Governor Duoye Diri as the likely winner of the election.
The survey conducted by CellHub, a data mining and analysis group, alongside a consortium of data analysts and a team of development experts between May and June 2023, showed that the majority of eligible voters in Bayelsa State are in support of a renewed tenure for Diri.
The poll carried out through an informal engagement of twenty eligible voters across all of the 105 wards of the state, showed a larger percentage of respondents, forty-eight percent (48%) throwing their weight behind the reelection of Governor Diri, for a second term bid.
According to the figures derived from the survey, respondents, totaling about thirty-four percent (34%) remain undecided on their choice of candidate, while eighteen percent (18%) are throwing their weight behind the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Timipre Sylva, a former governor of the state.
CellHub data mining officer, John Paul said Governor Diri’s proactive and frontal management of the COVID-19 pandemic, giant strides in the infrastructural sector, calmness, maturity, as well as his easy-going nature are part of the qualities which have continued to endear him to them.
He added that based on the poll, Senator Diri is the “most dominant and widely accepted candidate,” followed by Chief Timipre Sylva of the APC.
He further explained that, “It is worthy of note, however, that the 34 percent figure, which represents the largely undecided voters and indifferent could sway the outcome in favor of the governorship candidate who can harness their voting strength.”
The poll conducted covered all the 105 wards in the eight local government areas of the state with a total number of 2100 respondents, which will be reviewed fortnightly.
