Mombasa Governor hopeful Suleiman Shahbal during a past media briefing. Photo: Suleiman Shahbal/ facebook.com
Mombasa Governor hopeful Suleiman Shahbal has dismissed the latest opinion poll by Infotrak that sees him trail incumbent Hassan Joho by a huge margin.According to the Infotrack poll results released on Monday, Joho is the most popular gubernatorial candidate in the county with 62.8 per cent of those interviewed backing his re-election against Shahbal's 8.2 per cent.Wiper Secretary General Senator Hassan Omar came a distant third with just 2.6 per cent backing while Nyali MP Hezron Awiti who decamped from the Wiper to the yet-to-be-named party polled only 1.4 per cent.However, in a quick re-joinder, the Jubilee politician took to his Facebook page dismissing the poll which he termed as an ODM propaganda tool used to sway public opinion."Ignore the fake opinion polls. They don't really matter. I have learned that in politics, especially in Kenya, popularity is not votability. This is because polling companies are propaganda tools of certain parties; who doesn't know that Infotrack is a tool for ODM to sway public opinion?" he said.Despite losing to Joho in the 2013 polls, Shahbal is optimistic that he will wrestle power from the ODM deputy party leader irrespective of the opinion poll results.