Fellow Citizens, I glanced through the comments on my analysis of the recent NOI Poll presidential contest in Nigeria. Those personal verbal attacks against other commenters are not necessary. We need to mature into a state where people can take news that they do not like and behave with maturity. When NOI Poll released its result in 2015, APC hailed it because it predicted that Buhari would win. And when it released the 2019 poll, the same party celebrated the result (linked in my article). So, I do not see why we have to throw these digital bombs.
Statistics is science but politics is not natural philosophy. The good thing about political polling is that at the end, there will be a result, after the election. Let us show civility.
In October 2018, I wrote “Decamping will be very popular because in my model, I expect Buhari to win in 2019”. In that same post, I wrote “By this time in 2022, APC will select Bola Tinubu as the presidential flagbearer of the party for Election 2023”. And in the same post, I wrote “Engr David Umahi will win with PDP in 2019 but will decamp to APC shortly.” These calls were made months before they happened.
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But on the date I published them, many threw attacks. In short, someone from Ebonyi said I was working for the opposition that Umahi, a top PDP leader in Southeast, would not abandon PDP for APC.
Let us chill as Nigerians and learn how to engage in constructive ways. Data does not lie if you understand how to make sense of it. Let us show civility even when we do not like the results because this election is wide OPEN, and anyone can win it.
Comment on LinkedIn Feed
Comment 1: Politics is an emotional game that creates enmity among friends. As free thinkers and citizens, we all have the right to make our choices on who we campaign and vote for.
There is no reason to abuse or attack each other. These politicians will still sit together at meals when everything is over. For them, it’s a profession, but for their supporters it’s life and death. Those that lost their lives in previous elections are no longer remembered. Be guided!
If you love your candidate, promote your candidate without attacking others.
God bless Nigeria!
Comment 2: Professor, you also said Tinubu will pick Dave Umahi as his running mate. That submission was actually the biggest joke of the 2023 election to me.???
A southern/northern candidate picking another southerner. Nigeria hasn’t got to that level yet. However, regardless of how anyone feels about another person’s comment, it is important we disagree and engage with civility at all times. ?
My Response: I got it wrong because PDP jettisoned its constitution. I never believed they would do that. But it was my mistake. There is no need wasting time on a bad call .
The Most Hated Poll Right Now in Nigeria and the Road to Aso Rock in 2023
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What we see as attacks or abuses are human defects, those who easily devolve into them don’t really have other options, it’s the level of thinking they are still operating in. Knowledge of Philosophy is key to understanding how to respond to people we believe are not saying the right things, Socrates was succinct on that point.
The quality of education most people received was actually subpar, the unfortunate thing is that they were not able to upgrade themselves in the succeeding years, because we erroneously equate good education with career success; so if you are working in big organization or earning big salary, we somewhat believe that you are up there.
Critical thinking isn’t something majority of the citizens have excelled in, you will see people arguing passionately over something they obviously do not understand; it’s a big challenge telling such people that they are in the wrong. Politics doesn’t demand high barriers to entry, and if freedom of speech will remain freedom of speech, we cannot really dictate the correct way to present opinions and feelings.
Some people suffer moral badness that blinds them from being truthful and factual, so it doesn’t matter the data or evidence before them, they will still dispute it.