How Diri won Bayelsa PDP gov’ship ticket
The senator representing Bayelsa central senatorial district at the National Assembly, Douye Diri, has floored 20 other governorship aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to emerge as candidate for the November 16 governorship election in Bayelsa State. Diri, who polled 561 votes out of the 1,244 accredited voters, to defeat his major rival and […]
Senator Douye Diri
The senator representing Bayelsa central senatorial district at the National Assembly, Douye Diri, has floored 20 other governorship aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to emerge as candidate for the November 16 governorship election in Bayelsa State.
Diri, who polled 561 votes out of the 1,244 accredited voters, to defeat his major rival and former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Chief Timi Alaibe, who polled 365 votes to come second in the contest held in Yenagoa.
A businessman and philanthropist, Keniebi Okoko, and 19 other aspirants scored less than the first three contenders.
About 16 votes were declared invalid following multiple voting and other unrecognised patterns of casting ballot.
Diri was backed by Governor Serieke Dickson-led restoration caucus of the PDP. The group had presented him as the preferred candidate of the caucus in all the eight local government areas (LGAs).
The election of Diri as PDP’s flag bearer further reinforced Dickson’s repeated assertion that his caucus remained a dominant force in the PDP and the state.
Declaring Diri winner of the election, the chairman of the party’s electoral committee and Governor of Taraba State, Darius Ishaku, said he satisfied all conditions contained in the constitution of the PDP having scored the highest number of votes cast.