The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Chief David Lyon of the All Progressives Congress (APC) winner of Saturday’s governorship election in Bayelsa State.
Lyon defeated his closest rival Senator Douye Diri of the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) with:
APC: 352,557
PDP: 143,172
The contest was a straight battle between the candidate backed by the Bayelsa State government, Senator Douye Diri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and the candidate backed by the Federal Government, Chief David Lyon of the All Progressive Congress (APC). With the exercise concluded, let us meet the winners and the losers.
WINNERS
1. Chief David Lyon
Chief David Lyon, the APC candidate in the contest, is indeed the number one winner in the Saturday’s gubernatorial election.
The opposition candidate successfully defeated his closest rival in a landslide. Chief Lyon will succeed outgoing Governor Seriake Dickson, and he will be inaugurated as the 5th Executive Governor of Bayelsa state on 14 February, 2020.
2. Senator Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo
The year 2019 is a year of double electoral celebration for Senator Degi-Eremienyo. First, he won the senatorial election for Bayelsa East in February and now he has successfully been elected as the Deputy Fovernor of Bayelsa state. He will also be inaugurated on February 14, 2020 as the Deputy Governor of Bayelsa state.
3. Chief Timpre Sylva
Chief Sylva, the honorable minister of state for petroleum resources and leader of APC in Bayelsa state, has been the voice of the party since 2013. This electoral victory is a further reward of his past efforts as he had earlier in February led the party to win the senatorial seat of his Bayelsa East and two out of five seats in the federal house of representative. By leading the APC to defeat PDP in Saturday’s poll, Sylva has ended 20 years dominance of PDP in the state.
4. All Progressive Congress
Four years ago not many would predict that the APC will snatch Bayelsa State from the PDP.
This is because the state is the home of former President Goodluck Jonathan, and the PDP has always won the state in all previous five gubernatorial elections since 1999. This win is a big one for the APC!
LOSERS
1. Governor Seriake Dickson
Though the outgoing Governor was not on the ballot in the election, the contest was more about his political survival than the aspiration of the PDP candidate, Senator Diri. Despite the strength of his political family, the Restoration Movement, he could only deliver his local government and two others for his candidate. With the loss of the PDP candidate, Dickson’s senatorial ambition is technically dead as the sitting Senator, Mr Lawrence Ewhruojakpo will not be leaving the red chamber having lost his deputy governorship bid.
2. Peoples Democratic Party
2019 is indeed not a perfect year for PDP. In February the party failed its bid to reclaim the presidential seat they lost in 2015, and now the party has lost the oil rich Bayelsa state that it has always won since 1999.
3. Senator Douye Diri
Diri, the man who PDP hope to emerge the successor of Dickson, could not withstand the force of David Lyon and the APC. Although he won his local government, it was not enough to nullify the superior opposition votes. Irrespective of his loss at the poll, he is not the biggest loser in the election. He will return to the senate where he sits as the representative of Bayelsa central.
4. Senator Lawrence Ewhruojakpo
Though Ewhruojakpo, the deputy gubernatorial candidate of the PDP lost his bid to be deputy governor, he still has his seat intact in the National Assembly as the Senator representing Bayelsa West.
The Ultimate Winners
The ultimate winners of this contest are the people of Bayelsa State for coming out in their numbers to exercise their franchise and installing a new governor.
www.sojworldnews.com (c) November 18, 2019
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