The Former Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, has emerged the preferred aspirant of participants in the first opinion poll in the 2023 Enugu governorship race. Voters were asked, “Who amongst the following do you want to be the next Governor of Enugu State come 2023?”

Ekweremadu, who hails from Aninri Local Government Area (LGA) in Enugu West senatorial zone, secured 25.25 per cent of the votes to beat 21 other governorship hopefuls in the first opinion poll conducted by Afriforecast, a political risks analytics firm with insights in the geopolitics of Africa ahead the 2023 election.

Ekweremadu’s closest rival, Mr. Chinyeaka Oha, a retired federal Permanent Secretary from Nkanu West LGA, Enugu East senatorial zone, polled 17.63 per cent of the votes to place second, while Mr. Peter Mbah, a lawyer and businessman from Nkanu East also in Enugu East senatorial zone secured 9.98 per cent of the votes to place third.

Hon. Chijioke Edeoga, a former Member of the House of Representatives and current Commissioner for Environment in Enugu State, who hails from Isi-Uzo LGA in Enugu East senatorial zone polled 9.62 per cent of the votes to place fourth.

A Member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Offor Chukwuegbo, from Enugu South LGA still in Enugu East zone, came fifth with 8.57 per cent of the votes, whereas businessman, Chief Everest Nnaji, who hails from Nkanu East in Enugu East zone, came sixth with 7.88 per cent of the votes.

Speaker of Enugu State House of Assembly and an indigene of Enugu East LGA, Hon. Edward Ubosi polled 2.9 per cent to take the seventh place.

Other possible governorship candidates in order of their performance in the poll were former Minister of Power, prof. Barth Nnaji; Ambassador John Collins Nwobodo; former Vice Chancellor, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Prof. Hillary Edeoga; Barr. George Oga; Chief Uchenna Nnaji; former governorship candidate, Barr. Okey Ezea; Engr. Lawrence Eze; Senator Gilbert Nnaji; Member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Patrick Asadu; Member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Cornelius Nnaji; Dr. Davidson Nnamani; and the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party in Enugu State, Hon. Augustine Nnamani, who brought the rear. Afriforecast has successfully forecasted the outcome of several elections at both national   and sub-national levels in Nigeria as well as many national elections in other African countries.