Gallup polls are generally assessments of public opinions through representative sampling for the purpose of forecasting votes in an election.
The survey carried out by the Plateau Initiative for Development and Advancement of the Natives (PIDAN) which sought and aggregated the views of the electorate in the state on the rating of persons who have indicated interest in succeeding Rt. Hon. Simon Bako Lalong as governor in 2023 is one of such.
Such polls are considered near accurate due to the scientific and inclusive methods employed.
PIDAN, in order get a near accurate picture of what lies ahead for Plateau in the governorship race for 2023, took inputs from the 53 nationalities in Plateau State while sampling opinion on all who have indicated interest in the position irrespective of party affiliations.
The outcome of the survey which PIDAN released some few days ago, has put APC aspirant Dr. Nentawe Yitwada as leading with 253 scores while Prof. Dakas C. Dakas also of the APC came second with 180 points.
Others like Dr. Patrick Dakum and Prof. Sonnie Tyoden came third and fourth respectively.
While the political parties are expected to conduct primaries to decide who among the many aspirants would fly their parties’ flags, the essence of such an exercise is to give an insight into the thoughts of the electorate.
In many advanced countries of the world, results of Gallup polls have made it easier to verify the credibility or otherwise of elections results.
For instance in 2016, Gallup got it right when it gave the presidential election to Hillary Clinton as she won at general elections but only lost to Donald Trump at the electoral college.
In the same manner, PIDAN has been active in guaging the voting mood on the Plateau and has so far been accurate in its predictions like it did in 2014 when it predicted a loss for the PDP candidate which came to pass with the APC taking over the reins of government in Plateau State for the first time.
Now that PIDAN through a similar survey has published its findings which put Nentawe in the lead, many have agreed that the group is consistent in guaging the mood of the people and the likely vote swings in the state.
That Nentawe is leading is hardly surprising as his entry into the governorship race has received instant endorsement across the three senatorial zones in the state.
Since it is agreed that the Central zone should produce the next governor, most of the aspirants are from that senatorial zone. But even within the zone, Nentawe seems to be the most accepted as he is seen as detribalized, highly educated and urbane.
He is for instance known to have trained 100 youths from Kanke and Pankshin in animal husbandry and empowered them to start their own farms long before he indicated interest in the governorship.
Dr. Nentawe is also known to have wide contacts across the state with his many initiatives and membership of many development groups.
This is due to his humility and willingness to assist and make acquaintances with those outside his natal zone as he has assisted many in the rural areas to access credits to expand their businesses.
Another thing going for him is that he came into politics with fresh initiatives and isn’t encumbered by political hang ups of the past. This makes him meander seamlessly through the different camps.
He also enjoys warm relationship with the the youth and the aged as he is seen as the bridge between the young and the old.
With the APC’s sterling performance since it took over the reins of government in 2015 coupled with Lalong’s exemplary leadership, it is obvious that an APC candidate is most likely to win Plateau in 2023.
The Gallup poll by PIDAN is therefore unimpeachable.
