Diri with his Certificate of Return
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has declared candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Senator Duoye Diri as governor-elect of Bayelsa following the Supreme Court Thursday ruling, which voided the election of David Lyon of the All Progressives Congress, APC, over forged certificate of his Deputy-governor -elect.
The Commission has presented Diri with a Certificate of Return.
The commission also presented CoR to his deputy, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo.
A national commissioner at INEC, Mrs May Agbamuche-Mbu (South-South); made the presentation at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja on Friday.
In a press conference in Abuja on Friday, the INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, a Professor, said the Commission had to obey the court ruling and after receiving the Certified True Copy of the apex court judgement which disqualified the APC Deputy Governor-elect, the Commission proceeded to comply with the relevant constitutional requirements.
He said: “The Court also ordered the Commission to “…declare as winner of the Govemorship election in Bayelsa State the candidate with the highest number of lawful votes cast with the requisite constitutional (or geographical spread)”.
” 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. 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 Party has scored more than 25% of the lawful votes cast in all the eight (8) Local Government Areas of the State.
” Furthermore, the total number of registered voters in places where election was not held or cancelled as a result of sundry violations is 90,822. The candidate of the Accord party has the next highest score with 1,339 votes. The margin of lead between the candidates of the PDP and the Accord party is 141,833 votes. With this outcome, the election is conclusive at first ballot.
” Consequently, Senator Douye Diri AND Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo of the PDP are hereby declared winners and returned elected as Governor and Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State respectively.
He said that ” in fulfilment of the requirement of Section 75 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) the Certificates of Return to the Governor and Deputy Governor-elect will be presented to them immediately as ordered by the Supreme Court.”
