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Five months to the
next general elections, incumbent president, Goodluck Jonathan; former
anti-graft boss, Nuhu Ribadu; and former head of state, Mohammed Buhari
are ranked by Nigerians ahead of other contenders for the presidential
contest, NOI Polls, a non-partisan and non-political polling
organisation, has revealed.

The organisation,
which released the result of its October snap polls, said it used a
representative sampling of phone-owning Nigerians and surveyed the
preferences of some aspirants who have declared their intention for the
presidential race.

The results
revealed that 99% of the people polled said they were aware of Mr.
Jonathan’s intention to contest the presidential elections.

Of this, 87% of
respondents said they feel he should run for office, citing his right
as a Nigerian, experience, innovativeness, and his representation of a
new generation of leaders as their reasons. Some 22% of the respondents
said he should not run, citing a desire for a new generation of leaders
and a respect for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) zoning formula as
their reasons.

Some expressed a
“general dislike,” while others cited the “recent mishaps in the
country” and the difficulty of the electoral agency to conduct a free
and fair election under a incumbent president as a contestant.

About 86% of
respondents acknowledged the intention of former anti-corruption chief,
Nuhu Ribadu to contest the polls, while just a little over half (55%)
think he should run and 41% think otherwise. Some of his supporters see
Mr. Ribadu as a new generation of Nigerian leader, whilst 59% of those
who do not want him to run cite his inexperience as their reason, with
13% generally disliking him.

Mr. Buhari’s
candidacy has the support of 41% of the people surveyed, while 58% said
he should not run. His experience and integrity were the reasons stated
for supporting his candidacy, while 34% of those who said he should not
run mentioned a preference for other candidates and the desire for a
new generation of leaders and his inability to “provide the positive
change need in Nigeria.”

Also in the race

While nearly 97% of
those polled were aware that Ibrahim Babangida is running for the 2011
presidential elections, only 27% think he should run for office on
claims of being a good man and competent to run for the office. But 69%
do not want him to run, citing his reputation as being corrupt.

Another contender
that was ranked is former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, for whom only
27% of the 90% of those aware of his ambition think he should run. Some
21% of those who think Atiku should not run maintain that he is
corrupt, 19% do not like him, and 18% think he has a bad reputation,
while another 18% think he cannot provide the positive changes needed
in Nigeria.

Kwara State
governor, Bukola Saraki’s candidacy had 35% support, while 62% said he
should not run, with 3% being indifferent. Mr. Saraki’s antagonists
cited incompetence and bad reputation, as well as an inability to
provide the positive change needed in Nigeria as their reasons.

NOI Poll said 1058
people took part in the telephone interviews. The organisation said the
poll is part of the ongoing snap poll exercise conducted to rapidly
assess public opinion on various electoral events.

It is a Nigeria-based opinion research organisation which works in
technical partnership with Gallup Polls (USA), to conduct periodic
opinion polls on various socioeconomic issues in Nigeria.