Barring any last-minute dramatic change, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will today declare the winner of the Bayelsa State Governorship Election, which was held on Saturday, November 11th.
With the final collation of results set to start today, the incumbent governor and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Douye Diri, and his main rival from the All Progressives Congress (APC), Timipre Sylva, would know their fate.
Recall that INEC had suspended collation on Sunday and shifted it to 12 pm following the non-arrival of results from Southern Ijaw and Brass Local Government Areas.
When the last local government, Ekeremor, was collated, Diri had opened an unassailable lead of 137, 900 votes against Sylva’s 73, 503 votes, a difference of 64, 404 votes.
In the first three local government areas, namely, Yenagoa, Kolokuma/Opokuma, and Ogbia announced, Diri had polled 74,677 votes against his closet rival, Timipre Sylva of the APC, who had polled 36,202 votes.
In the other three local government areas announced, Diri consolidated his lead, winning two out of the three local government areas announced.
In Sagbama, the governor polled 35,504 votes while Sylva garnered 6,608 votes, and the Labour Party candidate, Udengs Eradiri, got 217 votes.
In Nembe, Sylva polled 22, 248 votes to win the local government ahead of Diri, who polled 4, 556 votes.
In Ekeremor, Diri won with 23, 172 votes against Sylva’s 8,445 votes.
Meanwhile, INEC has declared winners in the governorship elections held in Kogi and Imo States.
Governor Hope Uzodimma of the APC was re-elected in the Imo election, while Ahmed Usman Ododo emerged victorious in the Kogi election.
