2023 polls: Sylva from APC secures victory in another LG as collation resumes in Bayelsa

All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate Timipre Sylva won another local government area (LGA) on Monday afternoon as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) began compiling results for the Bayelsa State governorship election on November 11, 2023.

In the oil-rich South-South state, collation began at 12:42 on Monday, roughly 48 hours after the election, according to Prof. Faruq Kuta, the state returning officer.

When collation started today, the APC candidate was declared the winner of Brass LGA, which was made public first.

Read Also: INEC postpones collation of Bayelsa election results until Monday noon

In the Brass election, Sylva garnered 18,431 votes, while PDP governor Douye Diri received 12,602.

Thus far, Sylva has won two of the eight local government districts in the state, while Diri has won five.

Only the Southern Ijaw LGA remains after the results from Kolokuma/Opokuma, Ogbia, Yenegoa, Sagbama, Nemb, Ekeremor, and Brass LGAs were removed.

At the end of today’s collation, Kuta, the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, is anticipated to declare the poll’s winner.

Candidate sponsorship for the Bayelsa election came from sixteen political parties. Many analysts, however, have characterised the fight as a two-horse race between Diri, who is running for re-election, and Sylva.

Sylva was the state’s former governor as well as the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources. From May 2007 to April 2008 and again from May 2008 to January 2012, he served as the first governor of Bayelsa.

With more than 55,000 votes, the PDP candidate leads the APC contender; however, the outcome from Southern Ijaw could swing the race in the former minister’s direction.

Allegations of voter intimidation, suppression, and vote buying sparked protests across the state on Sunday, particularly in Nembe Bassambiri, where a large number of voters claimed the elections were rigged.

Similar to Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi states held governorship elections on Saturday, and the results have already been declared. In Imo, the APC’s incumbent, Hope Uzodimma, prevailed in the election, and INEC proclaimed Usman Ododo the winner in Kogi.

More information to come.