INEC presents certificate of return to Diri, deputy

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has presented the certificate of return to the candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Douye Diri as governor-elect of Bayelsa State.

The commission also presented CoR to his deputy, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo.

A national commissioner at INEC, Mrs May Agbamuche-Mbu (South-South); made the presentation at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja on Friday.

Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu had declared at a press conference Friday that without the vote of the All Progressive Congress, the candidate of the PDP scored the highest number of lawful votes with 143,172.

He said, “In compliance with the orders of the Supreme Court, the Commission met this morning and reviewed the result of the election in which 45 political parties contested. Without the votes scored 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 Peoples 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 all the eight (8) Local Government Areas of the State.

“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 141,833 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 elected as Governor and Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State respectively.”

Diri came second in the November 16, 2019 governorship election in the state, behind the candidate of the All Progressives Congress.

The Supreme Court on Thursday sacked the governor-elect of Bayelsa State, David Lyon of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on the ground that his Deputy, Biobarakuma Degi-Eremieoyo presented a forged certificate to INEC.