INEC declares Diri winner of Bayelsa Guber poll

The incumbent governor, Senator Douye Diri, has has been declared winner of  governorship election that took place on Saturday in Bayelsa State.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared him the winner on Monday at the Prof. Mahmood Yakubu Media Centre, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

The announcement was made by the State Returning Officer and Vice-Chancellor, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Prof. Kuta Farouk.

According to INEC, Governor Diri secured the majority of lawful votes in six out of the eight local government areas of the state, while his main challenger and candidate for the All Progressives Congress (APC), Timipre Sylva, won only two LGAs.

The local government areas where Governor Diri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) prevailed are Kolokuma/Opokuma, Ogbia, Yenagoa, Sagbama, Ekeremor, and Southern Ijaw. Chief Sylva of the APC, on the other hand, won Nembe and Brass LGAs.

Diri polled 175,196 to defeat his closest rival, Timipre Sylva of the All Progressives Congress, who garnered 110,108 votes while the Labour Party polled 905 votes.