…The manipulation of public opinion polls defies efforts to champion good governance
…Oduah got 4,600 votes in the opinion polls to top the chat
Foundation of Movement for Good Governance (FMGG) a non-political organization claims that Anambra North Senatoral opinion poll was manipulated.
ANN gathered that the Senator representing Anambra North Senatorial District, Princess Stella Oduah got 4,600 votes in the opinion polls to top the chat, a development that ignited protest based on the perception that she manipulated the exercise to favour her.
Anambra State Director, FMGG Dr. Chuks Ogogor in a press conference in Awka stated that the former Minister of Aviation manipulated a certain opinion poll conducted for Senatorial candidates of her zone to her favour.
According Ogogor, “With a strong sense of responsibility, FMGG brings to the full glare of the public, a disturbing development that sees us committed to launching a campaign against the project under the initiative of “Nigerians Decide,” for allegedly conniving with a highly placed individual on the use of Votebots to manipulate the result of the ongoing Anambra North Senatorial opinion poll.
“Senator Oduah, who was ranking 2,946 votes some days earlier to rise from that reluctant and insignificant voting pace to 4,600 within a few minutes.
“The Project, Nigerians Decide, 1615 L ST NW, Suit 800, Washington, DC 20036, came up with a very laudable initiative ‘Nigeria Decided,’ an independent opinion poll primarily to x-ray and give hypothetical projection of the likely outcome of 2023 general election in Nigeria.
“At about 10:38 pm on Thursday, 29 December, 2022, this highly placed individual launched Votebots to automate voter actions and perform them at scale; so that Senator Stella Oduah, who was ranking 2,946 votes some days ago from a reluctant and insignificant voting pace, to rise to 4,600 within a few minutes. This could immediately tell that the distribution of votes is unnatural and violating an expected power law.
“The manipulation of public opinion polls defies efforts to champion good governance, and remains a critical threat to Nigeria’s fragile democracy at a time the entire country is in dire need of restitution.
“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. We are hoping your organization live up to the standards by which you have been evaluated by Nigerians, and disassociate your corporate self from this act.”
The group also called on the organization to disqualify Senator Oduah from the online poll on the basis of the above stated facts, to ensure credibility and transpirency in the upcoming 2023 general election.
“Senator Oduah should be sanctioned to enable 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”. The group demanded.
