Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, has been declared winner of the Saturday, November 11 governorship election.

According to the State Returning Officer, Faruq Kuta, Diri, having polled the highest number of votes and met the conditions specified in the Electoral Act, was declared winner of the election.

Diri, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was declared as the duly elected governor of the state after polling a total of 175,196 to defeat his closest rival and former minister of Petroleum Resources and candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Timipre Sylva, of the All progressives Congress (APC), who garnered 110,108 votes.

Total number of votes cast was 291,212; voided votes were 3,668, while valid votes were 287,534.

The governor beat Sylva in six out of the eight local councils- Kolokuma/Opokuma, Ogbia, Yenagoa, Sagbama, Ekeremor and Southern Ijaw; while Sylva won in Nembe and Brass, with Labour Party’s (LP) candidate, Udengs Eradiri, winning none.

A breakdown of the results show Kolokuma/Opokuma: APC- 5,349; PDP-18,465; Ogbia: APC-16,319, PDP-18,435; Yenagoa: APC-14,534, PDP- 37,777; Sagbama: APC- 6,608, PDP- 35504; Ekeremor: APC- 8,445, PDP- 23,172; Nembe: APC 22,249’ PDP- 4,556; Brass: APC- 18, 431, PDP- 12, 602; Southern Ijaw: APC- 18,174, PDP- 24, 685.

Following the declaration of Diri as winner of the election, there was celebration around Yenagoa, as his supporters and PDP members defied the heavy downpour to express their joy over the outcome of the poll, albeit, peacefully.

The crowd of supporters soon dispersed to Government House and homes of party chieftains to continue the celebration.

Security in town was tight, as policemen and others patrolled major roads and streets to forestall any breakdown of law and order.

The Guardian