Updated: INEC Declares Diri winner of Bayelsa guber election

By Okodili Ndidi, Abuja

The coast is now clear for the Bayelsa State People’s Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in the 2019 election, Senator Douye Diri as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) returns him elected with 143,172 votes.

His declaration was in compliance with the judgment of the Supreme Court that disqualified the governor-elect and candidate of the All Progressives Congress, (APC), David Lyon.

Briefing journalists, INEC National Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, the Commission has received the Certified True Copy of the Supreme Court judgment which disqualified the APC Deputy governorship candidate and vitiated the joint ticket of the party earlier declared winner in the election.

According to him, “in compliance with the orders of the Supreme Court, the Commission met this morning and reviewed the result in the election which 45 political parties contested.

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“Without the votes of scores by the All Progressives Congress (APC) whose candidates were deemed not to have participated in the election, the total number of lawful and valid votes cast in the election now stand at 146,999.

“Out of this figure, the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) scored the highest number of lawful votes with 143,172. Similarly, the party has scored more than 25% of the lawful votes cast in the eight Local Government Areas of the State”.

He added that, “furthermore,  the total number of registered voters in places where election was not held or cancelled as a result of sundry violations is 90,822. The candidate of the Accord party has the next highest score with 1,339 votes.  The margin of lead between the candidates of the PDP and the Accord party is 141, 832 votes with this outcome, the election is conclusive at first ballot.

“Consequently Senator Douye Diri and Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo of the PDP are hereby declared winners and returned as governor and deputy governor of Bayelsa State respectively.”