INEC declares Diri winner of Bayelsa gov’ship poll

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has declared Governor Douye Diri, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for last Saturday’s election as winner of the the poll.

Announcing the result at INEC headquarters in Yenagoa, the Returning Officer for the state and Vice Chancellor, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State, Prof. Kuta Farouk, said Diri polled a total of 175,196 votes to defeat Timipre Sylva, the APC candidate, who polled 110,108 votes.

The candidate of Labour Party (LP), Engr. Udengs Eradiri, came third after polling  905 votes.

In the build up to the announcement of the result in Southern Ijaw, being the last local government, there was tension in the state as well as the around INEC office, as party Supporters laid siege to the commission’s office.

There was commotion at the collation centre after the declaration of Brass local government area result, as party agents exchanged blows.

Trouble started when party agents disagreed on the result from the area.

After the announcement of results, however, party agents including those of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Barr Dennis Otiotio and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Talford Ongolo disagreed on the reported occurrence of violence in the local government.

It took the intervention of security officials to calm the situation.