The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared David Lyon of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as winner of the Bayelsa State Governorship Election held on Saturday November 16, 2019.
The APC candidate beat his PDP counterpart with 209, 380 votes.
Prof Faraday Orumwense, INEC Electoral Returning Officer for the Bayelsa election declared the winner at midnight of Monday November 18 at the Prof Mahmood Yakubu Media Centre, Yenagoa, venue for the state collation centre.
According to Prof Orumwense, who’s the outgoing vice chancellor of the University of Benin, Edo State, said the APC candidate polled a total of 352, 552 votes to beat his closest rival, PDP’s Senator Duoye Diri who scored 143, 172 votes.
He added that the total registered voters for the Bayelsa election was 922, 562 and total accredited voters for the voting exercise were 517, 888.
Orumwense further stated that the voting exercise produced a total valid votes of 499, 551; 633 rejected votes and a total vote cast of 505, 884.
TribuneOnline reports that out of the eight local government areas where the election held, APC came tops in six, conceding just two to the incumbent PDP.
Announcing the winner of the Bayelsa governorship poll at exactly 1:00a.m, the state returning officer, declared: “I, Prof Faraday Orumwense, declared that Lyon having satisfied the INEC requirement is hereby returned elected.”
The announcement was greeted with a riotous shouts of celebration by supporters of the APC candidates.
Meanwhile, the results from Southern Ijaw, while being announced earlier, were contested the PDP state party agent, Dr Odiyovwi Oyovwi Osusu, who rejected the results announced, describing it as a shame and charade.
He took a swipe on INEC for concluding that because no death was recorded during the Saturday governorship poll, it was credible, free and fair.
Below are the final results as announced by INEC:
1. Southern Ijaw
APC: 124, 803
PDP: 4, 898
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2. Ogbia LGA
APC: 58,016
PDP: 13,763
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3. Yenagoa LGA
APC: 24,607
PDP: 19,184
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4. Brass LGA
APC – 23, 831
PDP – 10, 410
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5. Kolokuma/Opokuma LGA
APC: 8,934
PDP: 15,360
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6. Nembe LGA
APC: 83, 041
PDP: 874
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7. Sagbama LGA
APC: 7,831
PDP: 60,339
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8. Ekeremor LGA
APC: 21, 481
PDP: 18, 344