The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu has declared PDP candidate, Douye Diri, Governor-Elect of Bayelsa State. The declaration which was done in Abuja at INEC headquarter on Friday, 14th February 2020, followed the Supreme Court judgment which sacked David Lyon of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who was declared winner of the November 2019 Governorship election in the State.
”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,” the INEC chairman said. “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 PDP has scored more than 25% of the lawful votes cast in all the eight (8) local government areas of the state. Consequently, Senator Douye Diri and Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo of the PDP are hereby declared winners and returned elected and Governor and Deputy Governor of Bayelsa.