INEC Declares Gov Diri winner of Bayelsa guber polls

The Independent National Electoral Commission on Monday declared Governor Douye Diri Winner of the keenly contested guber polls in Bayelsa State
According to the State Returning Officer, Prof. 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), Chief Timipre Sylva, of the All progressives Congress (APC), who garnered 110, 108 votes.

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

The governor defeated 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.