Buhari Congratulates Gov-elect Lyon, APC Over Bayelsa Poll:
- Condemns violence, commiserates with victims, families
BY VICTOR BUORO AND UBON EKANEM – An elated President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate in Bayelsa State, David Lyon, on their victory in the November 16, 2019 governorship election
This is as the President, who condemned the loss of lives in Bayelsa, especially prior to the election, also commiserated with the families of victims and those hospitalized as a result of the exercise.
President Buhari also commended APC supporters in particular and Nigerians in general, who exercised their civic rights in a peaceful manner, notwithstanding the pockets of violence and unrest recorded in some locations across the State.
In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, in Abuja on Monday, the President said; “Violence during elections vitiates our commitment to demonstrate to the world and upcoming generation that we are a people capable of electing leaders in a peaceful and orderly manner.”
He commended officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies for doing their best within the ambit of the law to ensure free, fair and credible elections.
The President however expressed regrets that pockets of unrest, ”mostly sponsored by desperate politicians, were recorded during the poll.”
He said his administration is looking forward to working with the incoming government to improve the lives of Bayelsa people, while ensuring the security of lives and property of all citizens.
The President charged the Governor-elect, David Lyon to embrace and carry along other divergent interests in the next phase of governance.
President Bihari, in urging for calm and sportsmanship by all candidates and stakeholders in the State, implored those not satisfied with the election’s outcome to seek redress through the constitutionally established channels.
On Monday morning, INEC officially declared Mr David Lyon of APC as the winner of the Bayelsa gubernatorial poll.
INEC’s Returning Officer, Professor Faraday Orumwense, Vice Chancellor, University of Benin, who announced the result, said APC polled 352,552 votes to win the election.
Prof Orumwense said Senator Duoye Diri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), scored 143, 172 votes to place second in the poll.
According to him, the total votes cast during the poll stood at 505,884 votes, while total valid votes and total rejected votes were recorded as 499,551 and 6,333 respectively.
The Returning Officer stated that of the eight local government areas in the State, APC won the poll in six with the PDP taking the remaining two.
In declaring David Lyon as the winner and duly elected governor, having scored the highest number of votes in the election, Prof Orumwense announced that in Southern Ijaw local government area, APC polled 124,803 votes to PDP’s score of 898 votes.
In Brass, APC polled 23, 831 votes as against PDP’s figure of 10,410 votes while Ekeremor Local Government Area saw APC polling 21, 489 votes compared to 18, 344 votes recorded by PDP.
Further breakdown of the declared results showed that APC polled 24,608 votes while PDP polled 19,184 votes in Yenagoa Local Government Area, which is the State capital city
But it was a landslide victory for APC in Nembe local government as the party polled 83,041 to beat PDP which scored 874 votes.
However, the PDP also had a field day in Sagbama local government where it polled 60,339 votes as against APC’s 7,831 votes.
Similarly, the PDP won in Kolokuma-Opokuma Local Government Area, where the party scored 15,360 votes to 8,934 votes amassed by their APC opponent.
