Reactions have continued to trail the prediction by Fitch Solutions Country Risk and Industry Research that the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu will win Nigeria’s 2023 presidential election.
Fitch Solutions Country Risk and Industry Research, which is a subsidiary of Fitch Ratings, an international credit rating organisation, said in a report that Tinubu would win the polls but Nigeria would experience social upheavals.
“We maintain our view that the ruling party’s Bola Ahmed Tinubu is the candidate most likely to win the presidential election as a split opposition vote will favour the APC.
“Protests and social discontent are likely to ramp up in the aftermath of a Tinubu win since this would end the recent trend of the presidency alternating between Muslims and Christians.
“Since Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999, there has been an informal agreement that resulted in the presidency alternating between northern and southern states, as well as between Christians and Muslims.
“A win for Tinubu would break with this unwritten tradition and likely fuel sentiment of perceived marginalisation among Christians,” the report read in part.
The report said that the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi would not win despite some polls predicting victory for him.
“Surveys showing that Obi is ahead of his opponents, Bola Tinubu (APC) and Atiku Abubakar (PDP), were mostly based on responses gathered online.
“Since only 36.0% of Nigerians use the Internet (World Bank, 2020), we believe that these results are skewed towards urban, affluent voters who are most likely to support Obi. We also highlight that these polls suggest that a large share of voters remain undecided,” it further read.
Since the report became public, Tinubu supporters have been touting it as proof of Tinubu’s inevitable victory.
Official Spokesman of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Festus Keyamo SAN took to Twitter to share a story based on the report on Friday.
However, the report has been generating reactions from many Nigerians on Twitter.
The Herald brings some of the best comments…
@firstladyship wrote, “Desperados who downplayed the Polls conducted by Bloomberg, Financial Times & ANAP Foundation, bankrolled a local freelancer to rate their vibrator high. Well, Peter Obi is no longer looking for ratings, he is already in the lead, others should catch up, IF THEY CAN!! APPLY WHAT?”
@TtifeB wrote, “It’s even visible to the blind. Tinubu is the next President of Nigeria. Obi is the sorosoke president of Twitter.”
@gabrielakwaja wrote, “Who is Fitch? Bloomberg says it’s Peter Obi. Don’t go and procure Oluwole Fitch to shore up Tinubu’s waning rating. Bloomberg, ANAP, WE2GEDA and Daily Trust unanimously say it’s Peter Obi. Rest.”
@Mikemandy7 wrote, “Yeye dey smell sha.. someone is happy that Fitch is predicting his candidate to win..few weeks back same person said predictions are rubbish. Now they accept but refused to accept the part that says he will break the country meaning we shouldn’t vote him..Lol..yeye dey smell.”
@Agho2 wrote, “He will win and rule over ashes.”
@lee_zamba wrote, “He will only win in bourdillon!!”