US Agency Predicts Buhari’s Doom During 2019 Election

US Agency Predicts Buhari’s Doom During 2019 Election

A United State based analysis agency, Teneo Intelligence, has predicted that Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari could lose the 2019 election if the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) stays united.

In his analysis of the outcome of the recent Osun state gubernatorial election, Malte Liewerscheidt, the company’s vice president, who also covers political risks in West Africa, was quoted to have said what occurred during the poll was a bad signal for the ruling party and signals its waning popularity.

“There is already a clear message sent from Osun State: provided the PDP remains united, and the vote is reasonably free and fair, Buhari and his APC are likely to lose the general elections,” Bloomberg quoted Liewerscheidt as saying.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) secured the highest votes in the governorship poll which the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared inconclusive.

 The candidate of the PDP, Ademola Adeleke polled 254,698 votes, 353 votes more than his closest rival, Gboyega Oyetola of the APC.

The margin was, however, less than the 3,498 votes in the polling units where voting was cancelled.

Consequently, the Returning Officer for the election, Professor Joseph Afuape, declared the poll inconclusive.

Afuape said, “Unfortunately, as the Returning Officer, it is not possible to declare any party as the clear winner of this election at the first ballot … I hereby declare the result inconclusive.” with the rerun scheduled to hold on Thursday, September 27.

The election is significant as it is the last major election before the 2019 general election and it will be recalled that Osun is one of the key southwest states that played a pivotal role in Buhari’s victory in 2015.