2023 Elections: Stella Oduah Under Fire Over Alleged Manipulation of Opinion Polls
- A former minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, has received heavy knocks following her recent move
- Oduah, who is the Southeast senator representing Anambra North Senatorial District, received heavy criticism over the alleged manipulation of an opinion poll in her favour
- As a result, the Foundation of Movement for Good Governance has called for the disqualification of the senator, stating that her actions are a threat to Nigeria's fragile democracy
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As February 25, 2023, presidential and national assembly elections draw closer, a former minister of Aviation and senator in the Southeast representing Anambra North Senatorial District, Princess Stella Oduah, has come under fire for allegedly manipulating an opinion poll conducted for Senatorial candidates of her zone, in her favour.
Legit.ng's regional reporter in Anambra, Mokwugwo Solomon, reported that an organisation, Project Nigerians Decide, Washington, DC, came up with an initiative to conduct an independent opinion poll primarily to x-ray and give a hypothetical projection of the likely outcome of 2023 general elections in Nigeria.
Source: Twitter
What Stella Oduah did wrong
It was gathered that Senator Oduah got 4,600 votes in the opinion poll to top the chat. This development ignited protest based on the perception that she manipulated the exercise in her favour.
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Leading in the protest was a non-political organisation, the Foundation of Movement for Good Governance (FMGG), which claimed that the opinion poll was manipulated.
Senator Stella Oduah's sins laid bare
In a press conference in Awka, the Anambra state capital, on Wednesday, February 9, the state director of the group, Dr Chuks Ogogor Patrick, averred that someone launched Votebots to automate voter actions and perform them at a scale that Senator Oduah, who was ranking 2,946 votes some days earlier, got 4,600 votes within a few minutes at a reluctant and insignificant voting pace.
He said,
"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.
"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."
A message to Nigerians
The group also called on the organization to disqualify Senator Oduah from the online poll on the basis of the above-stated facts, to enable well-meaning Nigerians to 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.
2023 Polls: INEC Explains How Winner of Presidential, Legislative Elections Will Emerge
The 2023 general election is getting closer than ever, and the stakes are high on who takes up the baton of leadership from President Muhammadu Buhari.
In the build-up to the general elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has continued to sensitise Nigerians and electorates on the electoral practices of the country.
In this article Legit.ng has put together a summary of how the winner of the 2023 elections will be determined at the presidential and legislative polls.
Source: Legit.ng
