By Ola ‘Kiya, Reporting
AMID a tensed atmosphere and palpitations, Governor Douye Diri has dusted his arch rival, Timipre Sylva to grab his second term in office as governor of Bayelsa State.
He was declared winner Monday afternoon by the Returning Officer for the election, Prof Faruq Kuta, saying: “That Diri Douye of the PDP, having satisfied the requirements of the law, is, hereby, declared the winner and is returned elected.”
Stonix News reports that the collation of the election results was characterised by multiple breaks and adjournments.
Diri, who’s the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, fought his way through to dust “stubborn” Sylva in a fiercely contested exercise in the oil-rich state.
Diri, who came into power in 2020, got a total of 175,196 votes while Sylva polled 110,108 votes.
The figures meant the PDP flagbearer overwhelmed his closest rival by 65, 088 votes.
The Labour Party (LP) scored a total of 905 votes to come a distant third.
Stonix News reports that 18 candidates vied for the coveted post, and Sylva was Diri’s main contender.
Sylva, who’s the immediate past Minister of State for Petroleum, was contesting to return as the governor of the South-South state for a third time.
He first became governor from May 2007 to April 2008 before returning as the leader of the state between May 2008 and January 2012.
But his third attempt to ascend as the governor of Bayelsa State was a bumpy ride.
About one month before the election, the Federal High Court in Abuja disqualified him from the contest.
Justice Okorowo had said since Sylva has served twice and five years as governor of the state, he would breach the 1999 constitution (as amended) if allowed to contest again.
He ruled that if the APC candidate won and was sworn in, he would have spent more than eight years in office as governor of the state.
Consequently, barely a week before the November 11 governorship election, INEC delisted him as a contestant for the exercise.
But APC and Sylva challenged the judgment at the Appeal Court which,on October 31, 2023, later, reversed Sylva’s disqualification until he eventually met his Waterloo on Saturday.
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