A majority of Nigerians believe that elections are the best method to choose their leaders, according to the latest Afrobarometer survey. But as they approach their presidential election in February, fewer than one-fourth of citizens say they trust the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Large majorities of survey respondents say that multiple political parties are needed to provide voters a genuine choice and that once elections are over, the losing side should accept defeat and work with the government to help the nation flourish. While a majority of citizens believe that the last national election in 2019 was generally free and fair, popular trust in the INEC – the institution responsible for ensuring a free and fair election – is declining. Key findings Most Nigerians (71%) support elections as the best way to choose their leaders (Figure 1). A similarly clear majority (69%) say Nigeria needs many political parties to ensure that voters have a real choice, a 13-percentage-point rebound from 2020 (Figure 2). More than three-fourths (78%) of respondents say that once an election is over, the losing side should accept defeat and cooperate with the government to help it develop the country, rather than monitoring and criticising it (Figure 3). A majority (56%) of respondents say the last national election, in 2019, was generally free and fair, but almost four in 10 (38%) believe otherwise (Figure 4). Only 23% of Nigerians say they trust the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) “somewhat” or “a lot,” while more than three-fourths (78%) express “just a little” or no trust at all in the election-management body (Figure 5). Trust in the INEC has declined by 12 percentage points since 2017 (Figure 6). Afrobarometer surveys Afrobarometer is a pan-African, non-partisan survey research network that provides reliable data on African experiences and evaluations of democracy, governance, and quality of life. Eight survey rounds in up to 39 countries have been completed since 1999. Round 9 surveys (2021/2023) are currently underway. Afrobarometer’s national partners conduct face-to-face interviews in the language of the respondent’s choice. The Afrobarometer team in Nigeria, led by NOIPolls, interviewed a nationally representative sample of 1,600 adult citizens in March 2022. A sample of this size yields country-level results with a margin of error of +/-2.5 percentage points at a 95% confidence level. Previous surveys were conducted in Nigeria in 2000, 2003, 2005, 2008, 2013, 2015, 2017, and 2020. Charts Figure 1: Support for elections as the best way to choose leaders | Nigeria | 2003-2022 Respondents were asked: Which of the following statements is closest to your view? Statement 1: We should choose our leaders in this country through regular, open, and honest elections. Statement 2: Since elections sometimes produce bad results, we should adopt other methods for choosing this country’s leaders. (% who “agree” or “strongly agree” with each statement) Figure 2: Support for multiparty competition | Nigeria | 2003-2022 Respondents were asked: Which of the following statements is closest to your view? Statement 1: Political parties create division and confusion; it is therefore unnecessary to have many political parties in Nigeria. Statement 2: Many political parties are needed to make sure that Nigerians have real choices in who governs them. (% who “agree” or “strongly agree” with each statement) Figure 3: Role of opposition parties after elections | Nigeria | 2015-2022 Respondents were asked: Which of the following statements is closest to your view? Statement 1: After losing an election, opposition parties should monitor and criticise the government in order to hold it accountable. Statement 2: Once an election is over, opposition parties and politicians should accept defeat and cooperate with government to help it develop the country. (% who “agree” or “strongly agree” with each statement) Figure 4: Freeness and fairness of 2019 election | Nigeria | 2022 Respondents were asked: On the whole, how would you rate the freeness and fairness of the last national election, held in 2019? Figure 5: Popular trust in the electoral commission and other state institutions | Nigeria | 2022 Respondents were asked: How much do you trust each of the following, or haven’t you heard enough about them to say? Figure 6: Trust the electoral commission somewhat/a lot | Nigeria | 2000-2022 Respondents were asked: How much do you trust each of the following, or haven’t you heard enough about them to say: The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)? (% who say “somewhat” or “a lot”) For more information, please contact: NOIPolls Raphael Mbaegbu Telephone: +234 63292096 Email: rmbaegbu@noi-polls.com Visit us online at: www.afrobarometer.org. Follow our releases on #VoicesAfrica.

Abuja, Nigeria. January 17th, 2023 – A new public opinion poll released by NOIPolls has revealed the top three key areas adult Nigerians want the government to focus its attention on in 2023 are security (49 percent), job creation (39 percent), education (35 percent). Other areas include Electricity (33 percent), Reduction in high cost of goods and services (29 percent), Infrastructure (27 percent), Agriculture (18 percent) and Health (17 percent) amongst other key areas mentioned. Regarding security, Nigeria has been plagued by several incidences of armed banditry and social unrest among other issues. The situation has worsened with even the supposedly untouchable people in the society being attacked by unruly elements daily. Nigerians residing in the North-West region are the worst hit and have experienced devastating attacks from armed bandits for a long time. Armed bandits usually kidnap unsuspecting members of the public before using their captives to secure huge ransoms in return for their release. Hundreds of people have been kidnapped and millions of naira demanded in ransom for their release thereby putting families of the kidnapped victims in great distress and confusion. Security analysts attributed the rising insecurity across the country to the lack of prosecution of arrested suspects, ease of getting firearms and the rising unemployment rate in the country[1]. On job creation, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), unemployment rate in Nigeria increased to 33.30 percent in the fourth quarter of 2020 from 27.10 percent in the second quarter of 2020[2]. Also, data shows that Nigeria’s youth unemployment, which refers to the share of the labour force ages 15-24 without work but available for and seeking employment, rate for 2021 was 19.61%, a 0.06% decline from 2020[3]. In line with the above data report, Nigerians advocated that the government should focus its attention on creating jobs in 2023. With regards to education, the sector was mostly on news in the better part of 2022 following the long strike declared by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in February which last for over seven months. With these challenges, it is indeed imperative for the government to expedite action in the areas enumerated by Nigerians to ameliorate the sufferings Nigerians are facing so that everyone will experience prosperity in the year 2023 as every Nigerian looks forward to improvements in their lives. These are some of the key highlights from the New Year Poll conducted in the week commencing January 9th, 2023. Survey Background The New Year celebration is a major celebrated event in the country succeeding the yuletide celebration. The celebration is usually occasioned by carnivals, traditional dances, sharing of gifts and many more to mark the New Year. Most of the time, people see it as an opportunity to thank God for sparing their lives into the New Year while others see it as a time to start afresh and take certain trajectories in their lives. Also, many see it as an opportunity to make resolutions towards certain goals of their lives and seek to pursue it with vigour and determination. Against this backdrop, NOIPolls conducted a survey to gauge the perception of Nigerians regarding their expectations for the year 2023. Survey Findings Thesurvey result revealed that the top three areas Nigerians want the government to focus its attention on in 2023 are security (49 percent), job creation (39 percent) and education (35 percent) amongst other key areas. Conclusion In conclusion, the poll result shows that Nigerians want the government to focus its attention mostly on security, job creation and education in 2023. Therefore, it is expected that the government will yield to these yearnings of the masses and focus its attention on these critical areas in 2023. This is an important task the citizens are asking the government to embark upon in the New Year to ameliorate the challenges citizens are facing. It remains to be seen if the government will take up this dutiful task and bring about the much-needed change in the country. Survey Methods The opinion poll was conducted in the week commencing January 9th, 2021. It involved telephone interviews of a proportionate nationwide sample of 1,000 randomly selected phone-owning Nigerians aged 18 years and above, representing the six geopolitical regions and 36 states and the FCT of the country. Interviews were conducted in 5 languages – Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba, Pidgin English, and English. Although we can say with 95% confidence that the results obtained were statistically precise – within a margin of error of plus or minus 4.65%; we recognize that the exclusive use of telephone polling has its limitation of excluding non-phone-owning Nigerians. Nonetheless, with the country’s tele density put over 100 percent by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), we consider our telephone polling approach appropriate. Also, given the rigorous scientific process of randomization and stratification applied, we can confidently stand by the validity of our methodology and approach. NOIPolls Limited, No1 for country-specific polling services in West Africa. We conduct periodic opinion polls and studies on various socio-economic and political issues in Nigeria. More information is available at www.noi-polls.com. Disclaimer This press release has been produced by NOIPolls Limited to provide information on all issues which form the subject matter of the document. Kindly note that while we are willing to share results from our polls with the public, we only request that NOIPolls be acknowledged as authors whenever and wherever our poll results are used, cited, or published. NOIPolls hereby certifies that all the views expressed in this document accurately reflect the views of respondents surveyed for the poll, and background information is based on information from various sources that it believes are reliable; however, no representation is made that it is accurate or complete. Whilst reasonable care has been taken in preparing this document, no responsibility or liability is accepted for errors or fact, or any views expressed herein by NOIPolls for actions taken because of information provided in this report. Any ratings, forecasts, estimates, opinions, or views herein constitute a judgment as at the date of this document. If the date of this document is not current, the views and content may not reflect NOIPolls’ current findings and/or thinking. Press Contact Email: editor@noi-polls.com cakubue@noi-polls.com nohuche@noi-polls.com Number: +234 (0) 9 – 290 4162 +234 (0) 9 – 291 4877 [1] https://punchng.com/nigerias-killing-field-neast-leads-as-terrorists-others-kill-53418-under-buhari/ [2] https://tradingeconomics.com/nigeria/unemployment-rate [3] https://www.macrotrends.net/countries/NGA/nigeria/youth-unemployment-rate

Abuja, Nigeria. 12th November 2022. A new public opinion poll conducted by NOIPolls has revealed that most Nigerians pay out of pocket for healthcare at various healthcare facilities across the country as disclosed by 80 percent of adult Nigerians nationwide. While 3 percent reported that their health services are paid for by family and friends, only 17 percent of adult Nigerians claimed to have access to health insurance cover. This implies health insurance cover has remained abysmal despite the availability of National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) which was established in 2006 to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in Nigeria with financial risk protection mechanisms. Furthermore, the poll result revealed that out of the 80 percent who pay out of pocket to access healthcare, 57 percent are willing to pay money monthly or yearly to get enrolled into the health insurance scheme. This also suggests access is a major issue with regards to health insurance coverage across the country. Therefore, there is need for a defined, definite, and deliberate approach towards mass enrolment of Nigerians, as well as intensive sensitization by relevant stakeholders as almost half of adult Nigerians (49 percent) disclosed that they are unaware of the National Health Insurance Scheme. This will go a long way in reducing the incidence of out-of- pocket payment and incurring catastrophic health expenditure. These are some of the key findings from the Health Insurance poll conducted in the week commencing November 14th, 2022. Survey Background The Universal Health Coverage Day is marked 12 December annually to call on leaders to make smarter investments and accelerate efforts towards health for all. This years’ theme is “Build the world we want; A healthy future for all,” and it is hashtag #HealthForAll emphasizes that to build strong health systems we need equity, trust, healthy environments, investments, and accountability. In the world we want, everyone everywhere should have access to quality healthcare whenever they need it without suffering financial hardship.1 Against the background, NOIPolls conducted a public opinion poll to feel the pulse of Nigerians regarding healthcare insurance in the country. Survey Findings The first question focused on self-assessment of the health status of adult Nigerians nationwide. The poll result revealed that most Nigerians (90 percent) believe that they are healthy whereas 10 percent think otherwise. 1 https://www.who.int/westernpacific/news-room/events/detail/2022/12/12/western-pacific-events/universal-health-coverage-day-2022 The next question sought to know what Nigerians do when they fall ill. The findings showed that majority of adult Nigerians (87 percent) claim that they visit the hospital when ill. Analysis by geographical locations shows that the North-West (98 percent) zone accounted for the larger proportion of Nigerians who have the same view. On the other hand, 13 percent stated that they do not visit the hospital when ill and respondents from the South-South (29 percent) zones had more people with this assertion. Respondents who claimed that they do not go to hospital when ill were further probed and findings from the poll revealed that 44 percent visit a pharmacy, 39 percent visit a chemist, 19 percent self-medicate, and 9 percent go to a traditional doctor when ill. Furthermore, respondents who mentioned that they go to the hospital when ill were further probed as well. The poll findings showed a high utilization of public hospitals across the country as disclosed by 58 percent of adult Nigerians who stated they visit public hospitals when ill. In addition, while 36 percent utilize private healthcare facilities, 5 percent disclosed that they utilize both public and private healthcare facilities. In addition, Nigerians who visit healthcare facilities were further asked on how they pay for their health care. Irrespective of the healthcare facilities they visit when ill, a very high proportion of adult Nigerians (77 percent) nationwide disclosed that they pay out of pocket for healthcare services. On the contrary, only 17 percent of adult Nigerians acknowledged that they have health insurance cover. This suggests that health insurance has remained very low in Nigeria despite the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) which was established in 2006 to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC) for Nigerians with financial risk protection mechanisms. Subsequently, of the 17 percent who indicated that they access health insurance, 75 percent mentioned they access healthcare services through the NHIS. Similarly, 25 percent disclosed that they access care through private health insurance organizations. In terms of patient’s satisfaction, 82 percent of those who are under health insurance reported that they are satisfied with the services provided by the health insurance provider whereas 18 percent stated otherwise. Consequently, respondents who do not have any form of health insurance were asked if they are aware of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and 51 percent of respondents acknowledged that they are aware of the scheme whereas 49 percent said no. The poll further gauged the willingness of Nigerians who currently pay out-of-pocket to pay money monthly or yearly to access healthcare services whenever they need it. The poll result showed that 57 percent of the respondents revealed that they are willing to pay money monthly or yearly to get enrolled into the health insurance scheme. On the flipside, 43 percent of the respondents did not express willingness to be enrolled on the health insurance scheme. Conclusion The poll result has shown very high proportion of adult Nigerians still pay out-of-pocket for healthcare. Evidence shows that some healthcare expenditure can push people further into poverty. A way to reverse this high out-of-pocket payment is for government, at all levels in Nigeria, to accelerate the push for Universal Health Coverage. This will lift people out of poverty, promote the well-being of families and communities, protect against public health crises, and move them toward health for all. The poll shows an urgent need for interventions in the Nigerian health system to reduce the incidence of out-of-pocket health expenditure. The proportion of the population covered by financial risk protection in healthcare utilization is too low at 17 percent, compared to a benchmark of 90 percent for an efficient health system, and this reflects how far Nigeria lags in the race toward universal healthcare coverage. Finally, there is need for a definite and deliberate approach towards mass enrolment of Nigerians by relevant stakeholders as well as intensive sensitization as almost half of adult Nigerians (49 percent) disclosed that they are not aware of the National Health Insurance Scheme. This will go a long way in reducing the incidence of out-of-pocket payment and incurring catastrophic health expenditure. Survey Methods The opinion poll was conducted in the week commencing November 14th, 2022. It involved telephone interviews of a proportionate nationwide sample of 1,000 randomly selected phone-owning Nigerians aged 18 years and above, representing the six geopolitical regions and 36 states and the FCT of the country. Interviews were conducted in 5 languages – Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba, Pidgin English, and English. Although we can say with 95% confidence that the results obtained were statistically precise – within a margin of error of plus or minus 4.65%; we recognize that the exclusive use of telephone polling has its limitation of excluding non-phone-owning Nigerians. Nonetheless, with the country’s tele density put over 100 percent by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), we consider our telephone polling approach appropriate. Also, given the rigorous scientific process of randomization and stratification applied, we can confidently stand by the validity of our methodology and approach. NOIPolls Limited, No1 for country-specific polling services in West Africa. We conduct periodic opinion polls and studies on various socio-economic and political issues in Nigeria. More information is available at www.noi-polls.com. Disclaimer This press release has been produced by NOIPolls Limited to provide information on all issues which form the subject matter of the document. Kindly note that while we are willing to share results from our polls with the public, we only request that NOIPolls be acknowledged as authors whenever and wherever our poll results are used, cited, or published. NOIPolls hereby certifies that all the views expressed in this document accurately reflect the views of respondents surveyed for the poll, and background information is based on information from various sources that it believes are reliable; however, no representation is made that it is accurate or complete. Whilst reasonable care has been taken in preparing this document, no responsibility or liability is accepted for errors or fact, or any views expressed herein by NOIPolls for actions taken because of information provided in this report. Any ratings, forecasts, estimates, opinions, or views herein constitute a judgment as at the date of this document. If the date of this document is not current, the views and content may not reflect NOIPolls’ current findings and/or thinking. Press Contact Email: editor@noi-polls.com cakubue@noi-polls.com nohuche@noi-polls.com Number: +234 (0)813 5474 521 +234 (0)813 7496 113

Abuja, Nigeria. December 6th, 2022 – A new public opinion poll conducted by NOIPolls has revealed that Government officials (30 percent) and the Police (26 percent) are the main violators of human rights in Nigeria as disclosed by Nigerians whose rights have been violated in the past. Sadly, it is worth noting that the institutions and government agencies established to protect and defend its citizenry are the ones primarily indicted for human rights violations in the country. More findings from the poll also revealed that issues of human rights violation are prevalent in Nigeria as disclosed by 88 percent of respondents interviewed. Regarding violation, 31 percent of adult Nigerians nationwide claimed their human rights have been violated in the past. Analysis by gender showed that there are more male (36 percent) than female (26 percent) respondents whose rights have been violated before. Consequently, when asked about the component of human rights that have been violated, 25 percent claimed that their ‘right to freedom of movement had been trampled upon in one way or another. While 11 percent mentioned that their ‘right to freedom from torture/degrading treatment’ has been infringed on, another 10 percent disclosed the ‘right to life’ amongst other human rights violations. Finally, the poll result showed that most victims (75 percent) of human rights violations in Nigeria do not report violations committed against them. Therefore, it is important to create frequent awareness campaigns for the citizenry on their basic human rights as recommended by 36 percent of the adult Nigerians interviewed. Also, as advocated by 19 percent of Nigerians, the government should enforce laws against human rights (s) violators in the country as this will serve as a warning to other violators of human rights in Nigeria. These are some of the key findings from the Human Rights Poll conducted in the week commencing November 7th, 2022. Background NOIPolls joins the world in commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which is observed annually across the world on 10th December. This campaign aims to draw people’s attention to the issues surrounding their human rights irrespective of who or where they are in the world. This year’s Human Rights Day theme is “Dignity, Freedom, and Justice for All” and the call to action is hashtagged #StandUp4HumanRights. In commemoration of World Human Rights Day, NOIPolls conducted a public opinion poll to gauge the awareness and perception of Nigerians regarding their basic human rights. Survey Findings The first question sought to measure human rights awareness in Nigeria and the result showed that a larger proportion of adult Nigerians nationwide (88 percent) claimed to be mindful of their basic human rights. Furthermore, findings from the poll also revealed the concern for human rights violations is prevalent in Nigeria as disclosed by 88 percent of respondents interviewed. Regarding violation, 31 percent of adult Nigerians nationwide claimed that their human rights were violated. Analysis by gender showed that there are more male (36 percent) than female (26 percent) respondents whose rights have been violated before. Also, an analysis of the geographical location indicated that the South-South zone accounts for the highest number of Nigerians in this category. Similarly, of the 69 percent who claimed that their rights have not been violated before, 17 percent admitted that they know someone whose rights have been violated before. The South-South zone also had the highest number of Nigerians who mentioned this. Consequently, when asked which human rights have been violated, 25 percent claimed that their ‘right to freedom of movement had been trampled upon in one way or another. While 11 percent mentioned that their ‘right to freedom from torture/degrading treatment’ has been infringed on, 10 percent disclosed the ‘right to life’ amongst other human rights violations. In addition, Nigerians who claimed that their rights were violated were further probed, and sadly, the poll findings revealed that 30 percent of Nigerians nationwide claimed that government officials are primarily responsible for violating their rights. Similarly, 26 percent lamented that their rights have been violated by the police, while 22 percent blamed family and friends for violating their human rights. When asked if the incident was reported, 25 percent indicated that the incident was reported while 75 revealed that it was not reported. Of the proportion (25 percent) who claimed that the incident was reported, 65 percent stated that they reported it to the police. While 16 percent mentioned that they reported to Human Rights Organizations, 13 percent reported to the court among other organizations With regards to recommendations on reducing human rights violations in Nigeria, 36 percent of Nigerians suggested that the government should create awareness for people to know their basic human rights. Similarly, while 19 percent advocated for the government to enforce laws against human rights violators in the country, 9 percent encouraged good governance as a way of reducing human rights violations in Nigeria. Another 7 percent advised that law enforcement agencies in Nigeria should be taught and made to respect basic human rights while 6 percent hinted that the judicial system in the country should be allowed to be independent amongst other mentions. In conclusion, the poll results have shown that most Nigerians believe that human right violation is prevalent in the country. For instance, 31 percent of adult Nigerians nationwide disclosed that their rights have been trampled upon before while few claimed that they know people whose rights have been infringed on in the past. Sadly, respondents who claimed that their right to freedom of movement, ‘right to freedom from torture/degrading treatment, and ‘right to life had been violated in the past reported they were primarily violated by government officials and the police. Given that government officials and the police are ranked highest violators of human rights, it is, therefore, imperative that routine training is conducted, reorientation of law enforcement officers across all cadres, and government officials are sensitized on what constitutes human rights as part of efforts to protect the citizenry. Finally, the poll result showed that most victims of human rights violations in Nigeria do not report violations committed against them. Therefore, it is important to create frequent awareness campaigns for the citizenry on their basic human rights as recommended by 36 percent of the adult Nigerians interviewed. Also, as advocated by 19 percent of Nigerians, the government should enforce laws against human rights violators in the country as this will serve as a warning to other violators of human rights in Nigeria. Survey Methods The opinion poll was conducted in the week commencing November 7th, 2022. It involved telephone interviews of a proportionate nationwide sample of 1,000 randomly selected phone-owning Nigerians aged 18 years and above, representing the six geo-political regions and 36 states, and the FCT of the country. Interviews were conducted in 5 languages – Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba, Pidgin English, and English. Although we can say with 95% confidence that the results obtained were statistically precise – within a margin of error of plus or minus 4.65%; we recognize that the exclusive use of telephone polling has its limitation of excluding non-phone-owning Nigerians. Nonetheless, with the country’s tele density put over 100 percent by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), we consider our telephone polling approach appropriate. Also, given the rigorous scientific process of randomization and stratification applied, we can confidently stand by the validity of our methodology and approach. NOIPolls Limited, No. 1 for country-specific polling services in West Africa. We conduct periodic opinion polls and studies on various socio-economic and political issues in Nigeria. More information is available at www.noi-polls.com. Disclaimer This press release has been produced by NOIPolls Limited to provide information on all issues which form the subject matter of the document. Kindly note that while we are willing to share results from our polls with the public, we only request that NOIPolls be acknowledged as the authors whenever and wherever our poll results are used, cited, or published. NOIPolls hereby certifies that all the views expressed in this document accurately reflect the views of respondents surveyed for the poll, and background information is based on information from various sources that it believes are reliable; however, no representation is made that it is accurate or complete. Whilst reasonable care has been taken in preparing this document, no responsibility or liability is accepted for errors or facts or any views expressed herein by NOIPolls for actions taken because of information provided in this report. Any ratings, forecasts, estimates, opinions, or views herein constitute a judgment as of the date of this document. If the date of this document is not current, the views and content may not reflect NOIPolls’ current findings and/or thinking. Press Contact Email: editor@noi-polls.com cakubue@noi-polls.com nohuche@noi-polls.com Number: +234 (0) 9 – 290 4162 +234 (0) 9 – 291 4877

Abuja, Nigeria. 22nd November 2022 – A new public opinion poll conducted by NOIPolls has revealed that 37 percent of adult Nigerians interviewed disclosed that the desperation of the political class to win elections is the major cause of vote buying during elections. On the tendency of electorates to accept gifts or favours from politicians and their cronies during electioneering, the poll revealed that 30 percent of respondents who have registered to vote during the 2023 general election claimed that they would accept gifts or favours from politicians and their cronies. Additionally, on the type of gifts or favours that the electorate is likely to accept from the political class and their associates, the survey revealed that 45 percent of respondents would accept money, any gift (21 percent), 10 percent would accept promised jobs or contracts, 9 percent would accept food items and 2 percent would accept clothes. Furthermore, despite the negative effects of vote buying to democracy, 26 percent of registered voters said they would be willing to sell their votes for monetary or material gains during elections. This shows a lack of understanding on the part of the electorate about the phenomenon of vote buying as a very critical impediment to genuine democratic consolidation, as voters who allow unscrupulous politicians to use them to get into office by means of this electoral shenanigan should know that they are throwing away their fundamental rights to democratic accountability through this selfish act. This gap highlights the need for a campaign against vote-buying and more voter education leading up to the 2023 polls. On the degree of certainty to vote in the upcoming election, the poll found that 92 percent of adult Nigerians nationwide who are registered to vote in the 2023 general elections are certain that they will vote. It is worth noting that only 83 percent of these respondents are certain that they will participate in the upcoming elections. Finally, to paint a clearer picture of how vote-buying can affect the credibility of the 2023 general elections, recall that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) reported a total of 93.5 million registered voters for the 2023 general election[1], and the poll revealed that out of the 30 per cent who admitted that they would accept a gift, 26 percent are willing to sell their votes for material gains during the elections. 26 percent translates to about 7.3 million votes, and from the previous election, this figure is enough to boost any candidate to win as the current president polled about 15 million votes in the 2019 polls[2]. Therefore, to combat the threat of vote-buying, relevant stakeholders should demand that the privileges associated with holding political office be significantly reduced, the abusive influence of money in the selection of candidates in political parties be controlled, electorates educated on why they should reject all forms of partisan inducements, and that the electoral commission improves the current measures on ballot secrecy. These are some of the key findings from the countdown to the 2023 general election polls conducted on the week commencing 31st October 2022. This is the fourth in the series of the monthly election polls conducted by NOIPolls as Nigerians count down to the actual elections in 2023. Survey Background The election is a process where the populace is given the opportunity to choose their leaders at various levels from the federal to the state and the local governments in a democratic dispensation. It is a sure path through which the leadership recruitment process takes place in each country, and it is indeed the beauty of democracy affording its citizens the opportunity to choose the people that will represent them at various levels. Nigerians will be going to the election booths in early 2023. This is the 7th consecutive election that will be conducted in the country without interruption. With over 9 million new registrants in the election mostly youths, makes the forthcoming election an interesting one[3]. However, the country still faces election challenges which include insecurity within the country, INEC preparedness, money politics and election rigging amongst other issues. It remains to be seen if these issues will be addressed before the election or they will form a stumbling block to the success of the forthcoming election. Against this background, NOIPolls conducted its Election Series Poll to seek the views of Nigerians on vote-buying ahead of the 2023 general elections. This is the fourth in the series of monthly election polls conducted by NOIPolls (the first one was conducted in July 2022) as Nigerians countdown to the 2023 general elections. Survey Findings The first question sought to gauge the proportion of adult Nigerians nationally who are registered to vote for the 2023 general elections. Furthermore, the study asked respondents who said they registered to vote in the 2023 general elections if they had received their permanent voter’s cards (PVCs). 88 percent said they had received their permanent voter’s card, while 2 percent had their polling units changed to their present addresses. Also, 12 percent of respondents mentioned that they only possessed temporary voter’s cards. Additionally, the regional outlook on the proportion of respondents who have collected their permanent voter’s card shows that across geopolitical zones in Nigeria, the average percentage of respondents that have collected their PVCs in the northern region stood at 92 percent. Similarly, the average percentage of respondents that have collected their PVCs across the southern region stood at 83 percent Consequently, to ascertain the degree of voting certainty amongst respondents who stated they have either collected their PVCs or waiting to collect, respondents were asked, “How certain are you that you will vote in the 2023 general elections?” and a huge majority of the respondents (92 percent) affirmed that they were going to vote during the elections. On the contrary, the poll showed that 8percent of respondents stated that they are not certain they will vote during the elections. Of this 8percent, 4percent said they were unsure about voting in the upcoming elections, while 4 percent said they would not vote at all in the 2023 general elections. A very common type of electoral violation, “vote-buying,” has proved very difficult to prevent or penalise in Nigeria. According to the International Republican Institute (IRI) and National Democratic Institute (NDI), the International Election Observation Mission, final report on the 2019 general elections revealed that there was a lot of vote buying during the general elections. During the Feb. 23 and March 9 polls, IRI/NDI observers witnessed vote buying at polling units, as well as party agents assisting voters in marking their ballots and violating the secrecy of the vote[4]. The fundamental parts of this infraction include promising, offering, or providing money, products, services, and/or other inducements (such as promises of employment or special favours or treatment) to voters and/or others, including the voters’ families or communities. It also plays out in the run-up to an election, after the election has been declared, or during the campaign, by a political party, candidate, or others (agents) working on their behalf; in a way that is intended, or reasonably may be expected, to influence how people cast or are likely to cast their vote. Subsequently, the poll sought to understand the tendency of respondents to accept gifts or favours from political parties, party candidates, or their cronies to influence their voting choices and respondents were asked “Supposing a gift or favour is to be offered to you by a political party or candidates during the election, would you accept it?” The results show 30 percent of respondents nationwide answered in the affirmative, while 70 percent of respondents nationwide said no. In order to determine the type of gift or favour that respondents are most likely to accept from politicians and their cronies during elections, respondents were asked, “In your opinion, what type of gift or favour would you accept?” The results showed that 45 percent of respondents cited money, any gift (21 percent), promised jobs or contracts (10 percent), 9 percent would accept food items, and 2 percent would accept clothes. Respondents were further asked: “Will this gift or favour influence your decision to vote for the political party or candidates during the election?” The results showed that 26 percent of respondents nationwide stated the gifts or favours they receive from politicians and their cronies can influence their decision on who to vote for during the election. This implies that almost 3 in 10 Nigerians (26 percent) are most likely to sell their vote to politicians and their cronies for material gains during elections. Finally, the poll sought to gauge the perception of respondents as to why political parties and their candidates engage in vote buying, respondents were asked “In your opinion, why do you think political parties or candidates engage in vote buying?” The results revealed that 37 percent of respondents think that politicians and their affiliates are desperate to win, 13 percent opined that it is a politicking norm, greed/selfishness (10 percent), politicians know people are poor or hungry and will accept gifts to vote them into power (8 percent), lack of confidence (2 percent), and corruption (2 percent). Conclusion The poll findings indicate that 26 percent of the electorate in Nigeria is likely to sell their votes during elections for material gains further revealing that vote-buying is a norm in electioneering in Nigeria and that political parties and their cronies are taking advantage of the current poverty level in the country to buy votes from the electorate during elections. Given the above, one thing is clear vote-buying remains a tool in the hands of the Nigerian political class, as recent electoral reforms have seen INEC migrate more towards a digital technology-driven electoral system, which in turn has limited the ability of the political class to manipulate election results in their favour. Vote buying thrives in Nigeria because politics is an investment, the premium on state power is inestimably high, the quest for power by the elites is so desperate, and poverty and illiteracy make people susceptible to material inducement. If not checked, the obvious outcome of vote buying is that it will gradually become the bane of democracy in Nigeria, and for a democratic nation, the electorate will slowly lose their voting power by exchanging votes for money and other material gains. This becomes a big distortion and hindrance to the concept of free and fair elections, which ensures that the electorates elect the leaders they deem fit for office. Finally, to drastically reduce the threat of vote-buying, relevant stakeholders should demand that the privileges associated with holding political offices be significantly reduced, the abusive influence of money in the selection of candidates in political parties be controlled, electorates be educated on why they should reject all forms of partisan inducements, and that the electoral commission improves the current measures on ballot secrecy. Survey Methods The opinion poll was conducted in the week commencing 31st October 2022. It involved telephone interviews of a proportionate nationwide sample of 1,000 randomly selected phone-owning Nigerians aged 18 years and above, representing the six geopolitical regions and 36 states and the FCT of the country. Interviews were conducted in 5 languages – Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba, Pidgin English, and English. Although we can say with 95 percent confidence that the results obtained were statistically precise – within a margin of error of plus or minus 4.65 percent; we recognize that the exclusive use of telephone polling has its limitation of excluding non-phone-owning Nigerians. Nonetheless, with the country’s tele density put over 100 percent by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), we consider our telephone polling approach appropriate. Also, given the rigorous scientific process of randomization and stratification applied, we can confidently stand by the validity of our methodology and approach. NOIPolls Limited, No1 for country-specific polling services in West Africa. We conduct periodic opinion polls and studies on various socio-economic and political issues in Nigeria. More information is available at www.noi-polls.com. Disclaimer This press release has been produced by NOIPolls Limited to provide information on all issues which form the subject matter of the document. Kindly note that while we are willing to share results from our polls with the public, we only request that NOIPolls be acknowledged as authors whenever and wherever our poll results are used, cited, or published. NOIPolls hereby certifies that all the views expressed in this document accurately reflect the views of respondents surveyed for the poll, and background information is based on information from various sources that it believes are reliable; however, no representation is made that it is accurate or complete. Whilst reasonable care has been taken in preparing this document, no responsibility or liability is accepted for errors or fact, or any views expressed herein by NOIPolls for actions taken because of information provided in this report. Any ratings, forecasts, estimates, opinions, or views herein constitute a judgment as at the date of this document. If the date of this document is not current, the views and content may not reflect NOIPolls’ current findings and/or thinking. Press Contact Email: editor@noi-polls.com cakubue@noi-polls.com nohuche@noi-polls.com Number: +234 (0) 9 – 290 4162 [1][1] https://www.vanguardngr.com/2022/10/inec-announces-93-5m-voters-for-2023-polls/ [2] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-f0b25208-4a1d-4068-a204-940cbe88d1d3 [3] https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/556316-key-issues-that-will-shape-nigerias-2023-elections-report.html [4] https://www.ndi.org/sites/default/files/NDI_IRI_Nigeria%20Elections%20Final%20Report_web%20version.pdf

Abuja, Nigeria. 18th October 2022 – A new public opinion poll conducted by NOIPolls revealed that the majority of adult Nigerians (80 percent) disclosed that they have collected their permanent voter’s card ahead of the 2023 general elections. On the contrary, 17 percent of adult Nigerians stated that they have not collected their permanent voter’s card. More so, 3 percent of respondents stated that they have applied for transfer of their PVC to a different location. Furthermore, findings reveal that an overwhelming proportion (93 percent) of adult Nigerians nationwide indicated that they are registered to vote in the 2023 upcoming general elections. This is cheering news as it showcases the readiness of Nigerians to vote in the upcoming general elections. However, 7 percent of adult Nigerians nationwide stated that they are not registered to vote in the 2023 general elections. Additionally, the poll results further reveal that 55 percent of adult Nigerians interviewed nationwide stated that they collected their PVC before the 2015 general elections. This assertion cuts across gender, geographical location, and age group. Also, the poll findings further reveal that 22 percent of adult Nigerians collected their PVC before the 2019 general elections. Interestingly, a greater proportion of females (25 percent) than males (20 percent) collected their PVC before the 2019 general elections. However, 16 percent of adult Nigerians interviewed stated that they had collected their PVC after May 2021 (new registrants). Analysis across gender show that a greater proportion of females (19 percent) collected their PVC than males (14 percent). Nonetheless, respondents who applied for transfer or have temporary voter’s cards were asked if they know where to collect their PVC when it is ready, and the poll findings show that 66 percent of adult Nigerians nationwide stated that they know where to collect their PVC when it is ready. Alternatively, 34 percent of respondents stated that they do not know where to collect their PVC when it is ready. Respondents were further asked how they would like to be notified by INEC when their PVC is ready for collection and findings reveal that majority of adult Nigerians nationwide (60 percent) stated that they would like to be notified through SMS. 24 percent of respondents stated that they prefer phone calls as a means of notification with a greater proportion of males (25 percent) than females (23 percent) attesting to this. On the other hand, 3 percent of the respondents prefer WhatsApp over other modes of communication. These are some of the key findings from the countdown to the 2023 general election polls conducted on the week commencing 19th September 2022. This is the third in the series of monthly election polls conducted by NOIPolls as Nigerians count down to the actual elections in 2023. Survey Background The election is a process where the populace is allowed to choose their leaders at various levels from the federal to the state and the local governments in a democratic dispensation. It is a sure path through which the leadership recruitment process takes place in each country and it is indeed the beauty of democracy allowing its citizens to choose the people that will represent them at various levels. Nigerians will be going to the election booths in early 2023. This is the 7th consecutive election that will be conducted in the country without interruption. With over 10 million new registrants in the election being mostly youths, it makes the forthcoming election an interesting one[1]. However, the country still faces election challenges, including insecurity within the country, INEC preparedness, money politics, and election rigging amongst other issues. It remains to be seen if these issues will be addressed before the election or if they will form a stumbling block to the future election’s success. Against this background, NOIPolls conducted its Election Series poll to seek the views of Nigerians on voter registration ahead of the 2023 general elections. This is the third in the series of monthly election polls conducted by NOIPolls (the first one was conducted in July 2023) as Nigerians countdown to the 2023 general elections. Survey Findings The first question sought to gain insight into the proportion of adult Nigerians nationwide that have registered for the forthcoming general elections in 2023. The question was therefore asked of respondents that are registered to vote in the 2023 general elections and it is heart-warming to note that majority of adult Nigerians nationwide (93 percent) stated that they are registered to vote in the upcoming general elections. On the flip side, 7 percent of adult Nigerians stated that they are not registered to vote in the general elections. Furthermore, respondents who claim to have registered to vote in the election were further probed to ascertain when they registered for the election. The findings revealed that 55 percent of adult Nigerians nationwide registered before the 2015 general election. Additionally, 22 percent of adult Nigerians nationwide stated that they registered before the 2019 general elections. Also, 16 percent of respondents stated that they registered after May 2021 (registrants). However, 7 percent of respondents stated that they cannot recall when they registered. Additionally, respondents who registered were further asked if they have collected their permanent voter’s card ahead of the elections. The poll results reveal that a huge proportion of adult Nigerians (80 percent) stated that they have collected their permanent voter’s card. More so, the poll results further reveal that 17 percent of adult Nigerians nationwide stated that they have a temporary voter’s card. Another 3 percent of respondents stated that they collected their PVC but applied for a transfer to a different location. Consequently, respondents who applied for transfer were further asked if they have collected their new PVC. The poll result showed that the majority of adult Nigerians nationwide (78 percent) who applied for transfer have not collected their permanent voter’s card. This assertion cuts across gender, age group, and geopolitical zones. Also, 22 percent of adult Nigerians nationwide claimed that they have collected their permanent voter’s card after applying for a transfer. The poll sought to know if Nigerians who applied for a transfer and have temporary voter’s cards know where to collect their PVC. Nigerians were asked: do you know where to collect your PVC when it is ready for collection? The poll results indicate that 66 percent of adult Nigerians nationwide stated that they know where to collect their PVC when it is ready. This assertion cuts across gender, geopolitical zones, and age-group with at least 51 percent representation. On the contrary, 34 percent of adult Nigerians nationwide do not know where to collect their PVC when it is ready. This suggests that more awareness and sensitization need to be created nationwide to ensure that those in this category collect their PVCs in time. The respondents who stated that they have not collected their PVC were further probed regarding how they wished to be notified when their PVC is ready. The poll results reveal that 60 percent of adult Nigerians nationwide would like to be notified through SMS. A larger proportion of females (62 percent) than males (56 percent) prefer this mode of notification. The poll results further revealed that 24 percent of respondents would prefer to be notified via phone calls. Additionally, 2 percent stated that they will prefer notification via WhatsApp, etc. Respondents who collected their PVC were further asked how long it took them to get their PVC. Interestingly, the results indicate that 45 percent of the respondents cannot recall how long it took them to get their PVC. This assertion cuts across gender, geopolitical zones, and age groups. Also, 21 percent of the respondents stated that it took them 2-3 months to get their PVC. While 12 percent of respondents took 4-6 months, 5 percent stated that it took them 7-9 months before collecting their PVC. To gain insight into respondents’ participation in the 2019 general election, respondents were asked if they voted in the 2019 elections and the poll findings show that the majority of adult Nigerians nationwide (82 percent) claimed to have voted in the 2019 general elections. Furthermore, 18 percent of respondents stated that they did not participate in the 2019 general election. Also, there are more females (20 percent) than males (15 percent) who did not cast their votes in the 2019 general elections. Surprisingly, of the 80 percent who claimed to have voted in the 2019 general elections, 45 percent of the respondents who disclosed that they registered after May 2021 supposed claimed to have voted in the 2019 general election. Further probe disclosed that they lost or misplaced their PVCs after the 2019 general election, hence they decided to register as new registrants in 2021. This simply implies that these categories of adult Nigerians registered twice hence the double registration reported by INEC. Conclusion The poll findings indicate that a huge proportion of adult Nigerians, 80 percent, collected their permanent voter’s card whereas 17 percent have temporary voters’ cards and 3 percent stated have applied for a transfer. This is indeed heart-warming but there is a need to ensure that all that have applied for a transfer, new registrants, and electorates with their temporary cards all get their permanent voter’s card ahead of the upcoming general elections to enable them to perform their civic duties. Also, the poll result shows that 66 percent of adult Nigerians know where to collect their PVC whereas 34 percent of respondents stated that they do not know where to collect their voter’s card when it is ready. This poll finding serves as a call to INEC, the regulatory body to carry out awareness about where Nigerians can get their permanent voter’s card. Relevant stakeholders can partner with INEC to sensitize the populace about the locations of their voter’s cards. The deployment of technology in this regard can be of immense help as one can locate his or her card seamlessly. Finally, 60 percent of adult Nigerians stated that they would prefer to be notified through SMS when their card is ready. This finding is useful to the regulatory body to ensure effective dissemination and distribution of the permanent voters’ cards. Survey Methods The opinion poll was conducted in the week commencing 19th September 2022. It involved telephone interviews of a proportionate nationwide sample of 1,000 randomly selected phone-owning Nigerians aged 18 years and above, representing the six geopolitical regions and 36 states, and the FCT of the country. Interviews were conducted in 5 languages – Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba, Pidgin English, and English. Although we can say with 95% confidence that the results obtained were statistically precise – within a margin of error of plus or minus 4.65%; we recognize that the exclusive use of telephone polling has its limitation of excluding non-phone-owning Nigerians. Nonetheless, with the country’s tele density put over 100 percent by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), we consider our telephone polling approach appropriate. Also, given the rigorous scientific process of randomization and stratification applied, we can confidently stand by the validity of our methodology and approach. NOIPolls Limited, No1 for country-specific polling services in West Africa. We conduct periodic opinion polls and studies on various socio-economic and political issues in Nigeria. More information is available at www.noi-polls.com. Disclaimer This press release has been produced by NOIPolls Limited to provide information on all issues which form the subject matter of the document. Kindly note that while we are willing to share results from our polls with the public, we only request that NOIPolls be acknowledged as authors whenever and wherever our poll results are used, cited, or published. NOIPolls hereby certifies that all the views expressed in this document accurately reflect the views of respondents surveyed for the poll, and background information is based on information from various sources that it believes are reliable; however, no representation is made that it is accurate or complete. Whilst reasonable care has been taken in preparing this document, no responsibility or liability is accepted for errors or facts, or any views expressed herein by NOIPolls for actions taken because of information provided in this report. Any ratings, forecasts, estimates, opinions, or views herein constitute a judgment as of the date of this document. If the date of this document is not current, the views and content may not reflect NOIPolls’ current findings and/or thinking. Press Contact Email: editor@noi-polls.com cakubue@noi-polls.com nohuche@noi-polls.com Number: +234 (0) 9 – 290 4162 [1] https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/556316-key-issues-that-will-shape-nigerias-2023-elections-report.html

A growing proportion of Nigerians say climate change is making life in the country worse, the latest Afrobarometer survey shows. While only 3 in 10 Nigerians said they had heard of climate change, those familiar with the issue are increasingly concerned about its impact, according to the survey, which was conducted in March 2022, well before Nigeria’s worst flooding in years killed hundreds and displaced more than a million people. Citizens believe they can help curb climate change, but most say the government has the primary responsibility for limiting its negative effects. So far, the government’s efforts on climate action receive a failing grade from Nigerians, who say that key stakeholders – including business and industry, developed countries, and ordinary citizens, in addition to the government – need to do a lot more to limit climate change. Key findings Only 3 in 10 Nigerians (30%) say they have heard of climate change (Figure 1). Among those who are aware of climate change: Two-thirds (66%) say it is making life worse, a 24-percentage-point increase since 2020 (Figure 2). Seven in 10 believe that ordinary citizens can help curb climate change (69%) and say that the government needs to take immediate action to limit climate change, even if it is expensive or causes some job losses or other harm to our economy (71%) (Figure 3). More than three-fourths (76%) say the government has the primary responsibility for fighting climate change and limiting its impact. Far fewer place this responsibility mainly on citizens (14%), rich or developed countries (3%), business and industry (2%), and traditional leaders (1%) (Figure 4). But a majority (61%) say the government is performing “fairly badly” or “very badly” in handling climate change. One-fifth (20%) give the government a positive rating, while a similar proportion (19%) are undecided (Figure 5). Strong majorities say the government (85%), business and industry (75%), developed countries (73%), and citizens (58%) “need to do a lot more” to limit climate change (Figure 6). Afrobarometer surveys Afrobarometer is a pan-African, non-partisan survey research network that provides reliable data on African experiences and evaluations of democracy, governance, and quality of life. Eight survey rounds in up to 39 countries have been completed since 1999. Round 9 surveys (2021/2022) are currently underway. Afrobarometer’s national partners conduct face-toface interviews in the language of the respondent’s choice. The Afrobarometer team in Nigeria, led by NOIPolls, interviewed a nationally representative sample of 1,600 adult citizens in March 2022. A sample of this size yields country-level results with a margin of error of +/-2.5 percentage points at a 95% confidence level. Previous surveys were conducted in Nigeria in 1999, 2002, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2014, 2017, and 2020. Charts Figure 1: Awareness of climate change | Nigeria | 2022 Respondents were asked: Have you heard about climate change, or haven’t you had the chance to hear about this yet? Figure 2: Effect of climate change | Nigeria | 2017-2022 Respondents who say they have heard of climate change were asked: Do you think climate change is making life in Nigeria better or worse, or haven’t you heard enough to say? (Respondents who are not aware of climate change are excluded. Figure 3: Limiting climate change | Nigeria | 2022 Respondents who say they have heard of climate change were asked: For each of the following statements, please tell me whether you disagree or agree: Ordinary Nigerians can play a role in limiting climate change. It is important for our government to take steps now to limit climate change in the future, even if it is expensive or causes some job losses or other harm to our economy. (Respondents who are not aware of climate change are excluded.) Figure 4: Who has primary responsibility for limiting climate change | Nigeria | 2022 Respondents who say they have heard of climate change were asked: Who do you think should have primary responsibility for trying to limit climate change and reduce its impact? (Respondents who are not aware of climate change are excluded.) Figure 5: Government performance in handling climate change | Nigeria | 2022 Respondents were asked: How well or badly would you say the current government is handling the following matters, or haven’t you heard enough to say? Figure 6: Are stakeholders doing enough to limit climate change? | Nigeria | 2022 Respondents who say they have heard of climate change were asked: Do you think each of the following are doing enough to limit climate change, or do they need to do more, or haven’t you heard enough to say? (Respondents who are not aware of climate change are excluded.) For more information, please contact: NOIPolls Raphael Mbaegbu Telephone: +234 63292096 Email: rmbaegbu@noi-polls.com Visit us online at: www.afrobarometer.org. Follow our releases on #VoicesAfrica.

Abuja, Nigeria: 27th September 2022– A new public opinion poll conducted by NOIPolls in commemoration of the 62nd Independence Day has revealed that Nigerians take pride in being citizens of Nigeria as 77 percent of adult Nigerians surveyed affirmed that they are proud to be Nigerians because they believe it is their father land (63 percent) and they have nowhere else to call home. This is fulfilling, especially in the face of insecurity and other critical challenges which could affect the corporate existence of the country. Interestingly, further finding indicated that 55 percent of adult Nigerians nationwide expressed support for the restructuring of the country mainly because they believe each region will be able to develop its own resources (55 percent). The finding showed that the call for restructuring resonates more with Nigerians residing in the North-West (63 percent) and South-West (63 percent) given that they accounted for the larger proportion of Nigerians who made this assertion. Furthermore, in the assessment of adult Nigerians, the greatest challenges the country is currently facing includes insecurity (37 percent), bad governance (22 percent), bad economy (16 percent), corruption (8 percent), poverty (4 percent), unemployment (3 percent), poor educational system (2 percent), and disunity/tribalism (2 percent) amongst other challenges. It is understandable to note that a larger proportion of adult Nigerians (37 percent) feel that the country is not secure given recent media news on the activities of bandits and kidnappers across the country. However, the proportion of adult Nigerians who mentioned poor educational system is surprising given that university students have been at home for over seven (7) months due to the Academic Staff Union of Universities’ (ASUU) strike action over unpaid allowances by Federal Government. These are some of the key highlights from the recent Independence Day Poll conducted by NOIPolls in the week commencing September 19th, 2022, to feel the pulse of Nigerians as regards the commemoration of Nigeria’s 62nd Independence Anniversary. Survey Background Nigeria’s Independence Day is commemorated yearly on October 1st since 1960 and the 62nd Independence Day will be commemorated on October 1st, 2022. Nigeria’s independence echoes the pride of citizenship which embodies the rights and duties of Nigerians or the essential for cultivating civic virtues and democratic values.[1] The Nationalists who fought colonialism, nurtured expectations of political independence that would offer a sustainable path to redemption. But as it has turned out, the initial hope of independence has been squandered through bad governance. While Nigerians take pride in being citizens, the denial of full basic privileges of citizenship to individuals or groups, for whatever reasons, is usually accompanied by a drastic fall in citizens’ level of nationalism, participation, and trust in political institutions. Against this background, NOIPolls conducted this poll to feel the pulse of Nigerians regarding the 62nd Independence Day celebration. Survey Findings The first question sought to gain insight on the level of patriotism amongst adult Nigerians nationwide. When asked whether they were proud to be Nigerians or not, it is heart-warming to note that a vast proportion of Nigerians answered in the affirmative. Overall, 77 percent of adult Nigerians nationwide were proud to be Nigerians, while 22 percent felt otherwise. Further analysis by geo-graphical distributions of the responses makes it more interesting. Across the six geopolitical zones, the least expression of pride in being a Nigerian was expressed in the South-East, where 58 percent of respondents still expressed pride in being Nigerian. This was followed by the South-South at 70 percent, and South West at 74 percent respectively. One would have expected a totally different pattern of responses from the South East given recent increase in the pace and tone of agitations and counter agitations in the region. Nigerians who pride in being Nigerians were further probed for reasons and 63 percent disclosed that they are proud because it is their father land. This is followed in a far distance by 10 percent who mentioned freedom while 7 percent said it is because Nigeria is blessed with natural resources amongst other reasons. Similarly, out of 20 percent who claimed not to be proud of the country, 40 percent attributed it to bad governance/leadership while 26 percent said it is because of the high rate of poverty in the country. Other mentioned include poor economy/high inflation rate (16 percent), insecurity challenge and corruption (5 percent each), and corruption (4 percent) amongst other reasons. Furthermore, the survey also gauged the perception of Nigerians regarding the greatest challenge Nigeria is currently facing. In the assessment of respondents, the greatest challenge the country is currently facing include insecurity (37 percent), bad governance (22 percent), bad economy (16 percent), corruption (8 percent), poverty (4 percent), unemployment (3 percent), poor educational system (2 percent), and disunity/tribalism (2 percent) amongst other challenges. It is understanding to note that a larger proportion of adult Nigerians (37 percent) felt that the country is not secure given recent media news on the activities of bandits and kidnapping across the country. Also, the proportion of adult Nigerians who mentioned poor educational system is surprising given that university students have been at home for over seven (7) months because of the Academic Staff Union of Universities’ (ASUU) strike action over unpaid allowances by Federal Government. Subsequently, when respondents were asked: do you support the call to restructure Nigeria? The poll result revealed that more than half of adult Nigerians (55 percent) disclosed their support for the restructuring of Nigeria. The finding suggests that the call for restructuring resonates more with Nigerians residing in the North-West (63 percent) and South-West (63 percent) given that they accounted for the larger proportion of Nigerians who made this assertion. On the contrary, 21 percent do not support the call to restructure Nigeria while 24 percent were indifferent about restructuring the country. Respondents living in the South-East had the larger share of Nigerians (51 percent) who were indifferent about the call for restricting the country. Out of the 55 percent who support the call to restructure the country, the poll revealed that 55 percent support restricting because it will make each region develop its own resources. This is followed by those who mentioned that it will improve governance (9 percent), each region having equal rights (8 percent), solve insecurity (7 percent), improve citizen’s welfare (6 percent) and foster peace and unity (4 percent) amongst other genuine reasons. Correspondingly, out of the 21 percent who do not support the call to restructure Nigeria, 50 percent disclosed that restructuring the country will not change anything. Also, while 35 percent maintained that the current system is good, 5 percent stated that the status quo is fine but needs a good leadership. Also, out of the 24 percent who were indifferent about restructuring, 9 percent said that it may not change anything while 7 percent stated that restructuring will not make any difference. In addition, 4 percent admitted that they do not know anything about restructuring amongst other mentions. Consequently, Nigerians were asked if they are aware about the passing away of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The poll findings showed that 9 in 10 Nigerians are aware of the Queen’s death. This assertion cuts across gender, geographical zones, and age-group. On the other hand, 10 percent stated that they were not aware of her death. Further findings showed that 48 percent (13+22+13) of adult Nigerians expressed sadness and sympathised with the entire people of the United Kingdom over the passing away of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Conclusion In conclusion, the poll is reflective of the level of optimism amongst Nigerians despite years of bad governance which has affected sustainable development. Given that nationalism is an essential component of statehood, it generally represents the deep feelings of attachment and belonging in citizens that inspire supportive attitudes and behaviors towards nationalistic symbols. One way of expressing this is the pride of being a citizen of a country. Thus, these findings call for strengthening of democracy through inclusive governance, which allows participation of Nigerians to foster unity and development in Nigeria. Finally, for sustenance of this embedded pride in the Nation, there is need for government to create and nature a culture of inclusive governance with two-way symbiotic relationship between the government and the Nigerian citizens. This will significantly raise eagerness and participation towards governance, while enhancing common pursuit of national development for the good of the Nigerian populace, thus automatically reinforcing the feeling of patriotism and pride in the nation. Survey Methods The opinion poll was conducted in the week commencing September 19th, 2022. It involved telephone interviews of a proportionate nationwide sample of 1,000 randomly selected phone-owning Nigerians aged 18 years and above, representing the six geopolitical regions and 36 states and the FCT of the country. Interviews were conducted in 5 languages – Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba, Pidgin English, and English. Although we can say with 95% confidence that the results obtained were statistically precise – within a margin of error of plus or minus 4.65%; we recognize that the exclusive use of telephone polling has its limitation of excluding non-phone-owning Nigerians. Nonetheless, with the country’s tele density put over 90 percent by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), we consider our telephone polling approach appropriate. Also, given the rigorous scientific process of randomization and stratification applied, we can confidently stand by the validity of our methodology and approach. NOIPolls Limited, No1 for country-specific polling services in West Africa. We conduct periodic opinion polls and studies on various socio-economic and political issues in Nigeria. More information is available at www.noi-polls.com. Disclaimer This press release has been produced by NOIPolls Limited to provide information on all issues which form the subject matter of the document. Kindly note that while we are willing to share results from our polls with the public, we only request that NOIPolls be acknowledged as authors whenever and wherever our poll results are used, cited, or published. NOIPolls hereby certifies that all the views expressed in this document accurately reflect the views of respondents surveyed for the poll, and background information is based on information from various sources that it believes are reliable; however, no representation is made that it is accurate or complete. Whilst reasonable care has been taken in preparing this document, no responsibility or liability is accepted for errors or fact, or any views expressed herein by NOIPolls for actions taken because of information provided in this report. Any ratings, forecasts, estimates, opinions, or views herein constitute a judgment as at the date of this document. If the date of this document is not current, the views and content may not reflect NOIPolls’ current findings and/or thinking. Press Contact Email: editor@noi-polls.com cakubue@noi-polls.com nohuche@noi-polls.com Number: +234 (0)8135474512 08137496113 [1] Engin F. Isin, and Bryan S. Turner, ‘Investigating Citizenship: An Agenda for Citizenship Studies’, Citizenship Studies, 11: 1, 2007, p. 5

Crime and security rank at the top of the most important problems that Nigerians want the government to address, the latest Afrobarometer survey shows. In growing numbers, citizens report feeling unsafe in their neighbourhoods and their homes. Most respondents see abductions and kidnappings as a serious and increasing problem in the country, and a majority say the police are doing a poor job on this issue. Key findings Crime and security (41%) outrank economic management (39%), unemployment (35%), and electricity (34%) at the top of the list of most important problems that Nigerians want their government to address (Figure 1). Majorities of Nigerians say they felt unsafe while walking in their neighbourhood (61%) and feared crime in their home (51%) at least once during the previous year. Both majorities have increased significantly since 2020 (Figure 2). Most Nigerians (84%) are concerned about abductions and kidnappings, including 65% who say they are a “very serious” problem (Figure 3). And three-fourths (74%) of citizens say the number of abductions or kidnappings of citizens in the country has increased over the past year (Figure 4). Meanwhile, almost six in 10 Nigerians (58%) rate the handling of kidnappings and abductions by the police as “fairly bad” or “very bad” (Figure 5). Afrobarometer surveys Afrobarometer is a pan-African, non-partisan survey research network that provides reliable data on African experiences and evaluations of democracy, governance, and quality of life. Eight survey rounds in up to 39 countries have been completed since 1999. Round 9 surveys (2021/2022) are currently underway. Afrobarometer’s national partners conduct face-toface interviews in the language of the respondent’s choice. The Afrobarometer team in Nigeria, led by NOIPolls, interviewed a nationally representative sample of 1,600 adult citizens in March 2022. A sample of this size yields country-level results with a margin of error of +/-2.5 percentage points at a 95% confidence level. Previous surveys were conducted in Nigeria in 2000, 2003, 2005, 2008, 2013, 2015, 2017, and 2020. Charts Figure 1: Most important problems | Nigeria | 2022 Respondents were asked: In your opinion, what are the most important problems facing this country that government should address? (Respondents could give up to three answers.) Figure 2: Sense of insecurity | Nigeria | 2015-2022 Respondents were asked: Over the past year, how often, if ever, have you or anyone in your family: Felt unsafe walking in your neighbourhood? Feared crime in your own home? (% who say “just once or twice,” “several times,” “many times,” or “always”) Figure 3: Abduction and kidnapping: A serious problem? | Nigeria | 2022 Respondents were asked: How serious of a problem are abductions and kidnapping of citizens in our country today? Figure 4: Frequency of abduction and kidnapping | Nigeria | 2022 Respondents were asked: In your opinion, over the past year, would you say the cases of abduction or kidnapping in this country have increased, decreased, or stayed the same? Figure 5: Police handling of abduction and kidnapping | Nigeria | 2022 Respondents were asked: How well or badly would you say the police is handling the kidnapping or abduction of Nigerian citizens? For more information, please contact: NOIPolls Raphael Mbaegbu Telephone: +234 63292096 Email: rmbaegbu@noi-polls.com Visit us online at www.afrobarometer.org. Follow our releases on #VoicesAfrica.

RE: ANAP FOUNDATION PRESS RELEASE: “A 3-HORSE PRESIDENTIAL RACE + A LONE OUTSIDER This statement has been necessitated by several requests for clarification on methodology regarding the recent 2023 pre-election polls conducted by NOIPolls commissioned by ANAP Foundation. NOIPolls Limited is an indigenous research and opinion polling organization founded in 2006. We have a long-standing history of conducting opinion polls on various socio-economic and political issues affecting Nigerians including pre-election polls since 2011. More information is available on the NOIPolls website. With regards to pre-elections polls, we do not conduct polls for political parties or candidates but conduct polls for non-governmental organizations and independent organizations with goals to fostering accountability and encouraging civic responsibilities. We have been conducting pre-elections polls for ANAP Foundation since 2011. The more recent pre-election polls we have conducted for ANAP Foundation include the 2015 and 2019 pre-presidential elections polls which showed President Muhammad Buhari of APC leading the then President Goodluck Jonathan of PDP in 2015 and also leading his main challenger HE Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of PDP in 2019. See links to the publications below: Buhari Leads, but his lead is not unassailable because Atiku has momentum and may appeal more to Undecided voters 2015 Presidential Election Poll Our election polls have not been limited to presidential elections but include gubernatorial elections with the following sample publications: Governor Ganduje’s Lead is significant and might be unassailable Governor Wike had a significant lead even before the withdrawal of several candidates and so victory appears to be assured for him Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal has a significant lead and should win. Sanwo-Olu Leads, but his lead is not unassailable because Undecided voters are huge at 53% Including the most recent gubernatorial elections in Ekiti State. Ekiti Governorship Poll: PDP running a distant 3rd Independently, we also have conducted pre-election polls including the Anambra State gubernatorial elections in 2021 In summary we have been carrying out credible pre-election polls since 2011 and our methodology have not changed. For the presidential pre-election polls conducted in September 2022, which is the first in a series of pre-election polls commissioned by ANAP Foundation, a total sample size of 1,000[1], phone-owning Nigerians (aged 18+) proportionately representing the six geo-political zones in the country were interviewed. This was the same sample size and distribution used in 2015 and 2019. With this sample size, and the selection method, the results obtained represents the opinions of adult Nigerians with 95% confidence level and plus or minus 4.65%[2] margin of error. This includes a design effect of 1.5. The interviews were conducted in the language of preference of the respondent viz; English, Pidgin, Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba languages. Interviews were done over the telephone. Nigeria’s tele-density at more than 97.45%[3] makes telephone polling a viable methodology. NOIPolls adopts a proportionate, stratified random sampling design for polling. Respondents 18+ years are selected form our database of over 70 million phone owning Nigerians. Stratification is set on several key demographics such as age (18+), gender, geo-political zones, states, and Local Government Areas (LGAs) to make sure the final sample is representative of the actual population. The gender and the geo-political zone demographic distribution of the respondents are in the same proportion with the 2006 National Population Census. In conclusion, while NOIPOLLS stands by its findings given our rigorous method of obtaining the opinion of Nigerians, we would like to point readers to the significant proportion of undecided voters (32%) and respondents that refused to disclose their choice (15%) making a total of 47% of respondents who said they are registered to vote and who can swing the outcome of the election in any direction. NOIPolls remains resolute to providing timely and relevant information on public opinion on various social and economic issues, thus give voice to ordinary citizens, while empowering decision makers in the private and public sectors for better performance and improved governance. Signed Dr. Chike Nwangwu Chief Executive Officer, NOIPolls Limited [1] A minimum of a total of 1,000 respondents, drawn from the population of 18 years and above Nigerians is recommended using a stratified random sampling of respondent from the population. The sample size (minimum of 1,000) is calculated on the assumption that 50% of the population have a given characteristic or indicator of interest. The required sample size (n) for the general public is calculated with the assumption to estimate the expected proportion (p) of the indicator of interest with 3.1% margin of error. Using the formula for calculating 95% confidence interval, the equation for calculating the sample size is given below: where n is the minimum sample size required, is the margin of error (level of precision), is the estimate of the current outcome measure (estimated to be 0.50, which gives the widest confidence interval, is the level of significance (= 5%), = Standard normal deviate or Z score corresponding to the two-sided null hypothesis (= 1.96). [2] Margin of error of 3.1% (assuming simple random sampling) multiplied by a design effect of 1.5 (accounting for variance in estimates accruing from the use of proportionate stratified random sampling in selecting respondents) gives plus or minus 4.65%. [3] https://www.ncc.gov.ng/statistics-reports/subscriber-data

STATE OF SECURITY REPORT Abuja, Nigeria: 24th May 2022- A new public opinion poll conducted by NOIPolls has revealed that 68 percent of adult Nigerians nationwide have described the current state of security in the country as insecure. This is not far-fetched as the country has been besieged with all kinds of security challenges ranging from kidnapping, banditry, herdsmen attack, terrorism, and the activities of separatists’ movements. Additionally, analysis across geo-political zones showed that the South-East (78 percent) and the North-West (75 percent) zones had the larger proportion of adult Nigerians who made this assertion. Further findings revealed the most common security challenges faced in each region. For instance, Nigerians residing in the North-West mostly complained of kidnapping (32 percent) and armed banditry (17 percent), terrorism (21 percent) in the North-East, and herdsmen and farmer’s (20 percent) clash in the North-Central. Also, ritual killings (8 percent) in the South-West, armed robbery in the South-East and South-South amongst numerous security challenges. More so, the Poll revealed that 77 percent of adult Nigerians do not know any security helpline they can call during an emergency. This implies that most Nigerians may not be able to report any emergency security issue when the need arises. Therefore, this urges the security agencies to make sure citizens can report ongoing emergency situations, emphasizing the need for this all-important mechanism to be put in place to ensure effective feedback mechanisms between Nigerians and security agencies. During this survey, most of the respondents complained of not remembering the eleven digits security mobile numbers provided by the Nigerian Police and advocated on the spot that the Nigerian Police should have a three (3) digits number for Nigerians to call. Information technology (IT) plays a critical role in strengthening security against potential future attacks hence, it is vital for Nigerian security operatives to strategize with relevant stakeholders and adopt the use of 3 digits security helpline. This will enable Nigerians share information more readily as soon as they identify potential threats. Interestingly, a significant proportion of Nigerians (84 percent) disclosed that they are willing to report any security challenge in their localities mainly to save lives and properties (54 percent). It is, therefore, advised that security agencies synergize with citizens for effective communication between them and the citizenry to systematically improve on the security challenges currently ravelling the country as information from the locals can go a long way in preventing security threats. These are key findings from the State of Security Poll conducted by NOIPolls in the week commencing 9th May 2022. Survey Background The menace of insecurity has continued to rear its ugly head in our country Nigeria, causing loss of lives, destruction of properties, instilling the undesirable element of fear and trepidation amongst the populace. The insecurity situation in Nigeria today is arguably the worst since after the civil war and has continued to rise unabated despite government intervention in terms of spending trillions of Naira in fighting insecurity. The insecurity in Nigeria is multi-faceted and has manifested itself in many forms. From banditry and kidnapping in the North-West, terrorism in the North-East, herdsmen crisis in the North-Central, pipeline vandalism in the South-South to separatist agitations occurring in SouthWestern and South-East regions. It is estimated that a staggering 8,372 people have died due to insecurity challenges in 2021 alone which include banditry, kidnapping, herdsmen attack, separatist movement activities and terrorism related activities.[1] Many Nigerians are nurturing different degrees of injuries as a resultant effect of the menace of insecurity with some people incapacitated for life. It is estimated that the North has the highest fatality percentage put at 79.2 percent while the South has 20.8 percent[2]. The major cause of insecurity can be attributed to the high rate of unemployment in the country which has left the idle youths as susceptible and willing tools in the hands of the perpetrators who use them to cause mayhem on ordinary but unsuspecting Nigerians.[3] Other causes include indoctrination, brainwashing, substance abuse amongst other vices. The provision of employment to graduates and their counterparts through creating empowerment opportunities is very significant in curbing this menace while constant electricity supply will no doubt boost employment and increase productivity as well. Government must also adopt a multi-stakeholder approach to solving security challenges in the country where traditional and community leaders, pressure groups, civil society organizations, academics, media personnel, and security experts will have synergy in areas of intelligence gathering, information sharing, and early warning signals in matters related to security around their communities. To that effect, there is a need for the establishment of community policing within each divisional Police headquarters for effective management of insecurity[4]. Against this background, NOIPolls conducted this survey to feel the pulse of Nigerians regarding the current security challenges in the country. Survey Findings The first question sought to gauge the perception of adult Nigerians with regards to the current security realities. The result revealed that 68 percent of Nigerians disclosed that the country is not secure. Nigerians residing in the South-East zone (70 percent) had more respondents who made this assertion. Trend analysis shows a 21 percent increase in the proportion of Nigerians who stated that the country is not secure at all when current findings are compared with result obtained in 2020. Similarly, respondents were asked to describe security situation in their locality and the poll result revealed that 45 percent of respondents described the current security situation in their locality as insecure. Nigerians from the NorthCentral zone (56 percent) account for the highest number of respondents who stated this. Trend analysis indicates an 8 percent increase in the number of Nigerians who mentioned that the current security situation in their respective locality is not at all secure when current findings are compared with the result obtained in 2020. The poll sought to know the common security challenges in the respondents’ localities and the poll result revealed that armed robbery and kidnapping both tied at 24 percent as the main security challenge in localities in Nigeria with the South-South region (38 percent) leading with the challenge of armed robbery, while the North Central region (36 percent) is leading in terms of kidnapping. Other security challenges include herdsmen and farmers clashes and armed banditry tied at (8 percent) with the North-West region (17 percent) leading in this regard. Additionally, the poll sought to know if Nigerians are aware of any security helpline to call in terms of emergency, and the poll result revealed that only 23 percent of Nigerians are aware of the security helpline during emergencies whereas 77 percent of Nigerians stated otherwise. This needs to be corrected as having knowledge of the security helpline would go a long way in reporting some security challenges. Interestingly, the poll revealed that an overwhelming proportion of the respondents disclosed that they are willing to report any security challenges within their locality. This is heart-warming and it is advised that security agencies synergies with the locals especially for security threat reports and information from the locals. Respondents were further probed and out of the 84 percent who mentioned that they were willing to report security threats in their localities, slightly more than half of them (54 percent) stated that they would do so to save and secure lives of other people. Other reasons given includes to make quick arrest of the culprits (8 percent), to ensure that there is peace (7 percent) and improve the security situation (7 percent) amongst other reasons. Correspondingly, respondents who stated that they are not willing to report security challenges in their locality were asked to give reasons for their opinion. The poll result revealed that 30 percent stated that they will not report because of fear of being implicated while 18 percent stated that they will not report because security officers do not respond in time when they are called upon. Other reasons include calling them will worsen the situation (9 percent), personal reasons, no security challenges in my area and security operatives cannot be trusted, and they all tied at 8 percent. With regards to solution, 37 percent of the respondents suggested that the government should train and increase security operatives in all states of the country. While 13 percent recommended that unemployment issues be tackled, 10 percent want the government to intervene appropriately amongst other useful solutions. Conclusion In conclusion, the poll results have established that most Nigerians disclosed that the country is currently not secure. It is gratifying to note that most adult Nigerians nationwide (84 percent) stated that they are willing to report any security threat in their respective localities. However, it is sad to know that 77 percent do not know the security helplines to call during emergencies. This is a wake-up call for security agencies to adopt a three-digit number as helpline for Nigerians to call during security emergency. This will further improve and ensure effective feedback mechanisms between the citizens and security agencies. Finally, it is advised that security agencies and stakeholders take advantage of this survey result which has clearly shown the willingness of Nigerians to report crime in their respective localities. Survey Methods The opinion poll was conducted in the week commencing May 9th, 2022. It involved telephone interviews of a proportionate nationwide sample of 1,000 randomly selected phone-owning Nigerians aged 18 years and above, representing the six geopolitical regions and 36 states and the FCT of the country. Interviews were conducted in 5 languages – Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba, Pidgin English, and English. Although we can say with 95% confidence that the results obtained were statistically precise – within a margin of error of plus or minus 4.65%; we recognize that the exclusive use of telephone polling has its limitation of excluding non-phone-owning Nigerians. Nonetheless, with the country’s tele density put over 100 percent by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), we consider our telephone polling approach appropriate. Also, given the rigorous scientific process of randomization and stratification applied, we can confidently stand by the validity of our methodology and approach. NOIPolls Limited, No1 for country-specific polling services in West Africa. We conduct periodic opinion polls and studies on various socio-economic and political issues in Nigeria. More information is available at www.noi-polls.com. Disclaimer This press release has been produced by NOIPolls Limited to provide information on all issues which form the subject matter of the document. Kindly note that while we are willing to share results from our polls with the public, we only request that NOIPolls be acknowledged as authors whenever and wherever our poll results are used, cited, or published. NOIPolls hereby certifies that all the views expressed in this document accurately reflect the views of respondents surveyed for the poll, and background information is based on information from various sources that it believes are reliable; however, no representation is made that it is accurate or complete. Whilst reasonable care has been taken in preparing this document, no responsibility or liability is accepted for errors or fact, or any views expressed herein by NOIPolls for actions taken because of information provided in this report. Any ratings, forecasts, estimates, opinions, or views herein constitute a judgment as at the date of this document. If the date of this document is not current, the views and content may not reflect NOIPolls’ current findings and/or thinking. Press Contact Email: editor@noi-polls.com cakubue@noi-polls.com nohuche@noi-polls.com Number: +234 (0) 9 - 290 4162 [1] https://saharareporters.com/2022/01/12/8372-nigerians-lost-lives-insecurity-2021-report [2] https://saharareporters.com/2022/01/12/8372-nigerians-lost-lives-insecurity-2021-report [3] https://www.vanguardngr.com/2022/04/high-unemployment-rate-cause-of-insecurity-peter-obi/ [4] https://www.thecable.ng/in-search-of-a-panacea-for-nigerias-insecurity

By Eniola Daniel 11 May 2022 | 4:00 am A recent opinion poll conducted for Anap Foundation by NOI Polls Limited shows a close-run race for the Ekiti State governorship seat between the top two aspirants: Abiodun Ayobami Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Olusegun Adebayo Oni of the Social Democratic Party (SDP). The two candidates are running neck to neck. Surprisingly, the PDP’s candidate (Olabisi Kayode) is running a distant third. The Ekiti governorship race can therefore correctly be called a two-horse race between APC and SDP and with PDP running as a “dark horse” with only an outside chance of overtaking the front two. According to the poll, when asked who respondents will be voting for in the 2022 governorship election in Ekiti State, APC and SDP candidates, Oyebanji and Oni led the list of candidates, while PDP candidate, Kayode, is running a distant third. However, it is important to note that a whopping 33 per cent of those polled are still undecided as to their choice of candidate; and it is believed this proportion of voters would be critical in deciding who eventually wins the coveted seat. While the survey results show that youths between the ages of 18 and 25 years are more inclined to vote for Olabisi Kayode, (they also had the largest proportion of undecided (50 per cent). It also shows that a larger range of youths aged 26-35 and the next age bracket 36-45, are more inclined to vote for Olusegun Adebayo Oni. The survey further shows that 93 per cent of registered voters polled have their Permanent Voter’s Cards with them, while 79 per cent of those voters claimed that they are absolutely certain that they will cast their vote in the forthcoming Ekiti State governorship election. Even if the voters only partially live up to their claim, then the pointers are that voter apathy may not rear its ugly head in the same magnitude as it did in the Anambra governorship election where approximately 90 per cent of the registered voters failed to vote on election day. Courtesy: Guardian