By Sampson Boroh
There was a mild drama on Monday in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Douye Diri declared himself as the “true winner” of the Saturday November 16 governorship election in the state.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had on Monday declared the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Chief David Lyon as the winner of the last Saturday governorship election.
Senator Diri who rejected the results declared by INEC, accused security agencies including the Nigerian Army and INEC of conniving with APC to rig the election in favour of David Lyon.
He also rejected calls to congratulate Bayelsa governor-elect, Lyon.
The PDP candidate spoke on Monday during a press conference in Yenagoa, the state capital, to officially react to INEC’s declaration of the APC candidate as the winner of the governorship election.
According to him, the results collated from the PDP situation room indicated that the PDP defeated the APC in all the local government areas of the state.
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Senator Diri also claimed that based on the Court Judgement delivered against the APC on the 14th of November,2019, the party was not on the ballot paper and any vote for it would be null and void.
According to him “I am the winner of the just concluded elections. I am the winner even though INEC decided to look the other way. I am not just saying that PDP is the winner, because we had a situation room and reports from our situation indicated I won the election. Based on this result, PDP and its candidate is the winner of the election.”
He maintained that by legal provisions, APC should not have participated in the election and wondered why INEC would not produce the Court order that directed it to include APC on the ballot.
“We believe that the subsisting court judgment that disqualify APC as of the time the election was conducted. The request by PDP agent at the state collation center, Dr. Don Osusu that INEC should produce the order which made APC presence during collation legitimate was ignored. We urgently call on INEC to declare me winner”
“It is only shameful and laughable that INEC would manufacture figures. For us the rule of law is under threat in this democracy; anarchy is looming in this democracy, democracy is being raped. All the figures reeled out are a charade and a ruse”
Diri who listed several areas in the state where APC leaders and Nigerian Army intimidated, harassed and molested PDP leaders, regretted that INEC staff were also kidnapped and forced to accept fake results.
Other governorship candidates from Green Party, United Patriots, DPP, UPP, APGA, NPC, NCNP, DPP and AGAP dismissed the figures presented by INEC for APC and align with the PDP governorship candidate that it won the election.
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Meanwhile, the Former Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri has thanked Bayelsa People for voting the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the just concluded Governorship polls.
According to Sen. Lokpobiri, the victory of the APC is a loud and clear message from Bayelsans that they are ready and willing to change their destiny towards prosperity and good governance.
He congratulated Bayelsans and urged them to believe in the party because the APC will move the state to the next level with a renewed and amicable partnership with the Federal government led by President Muhammadu Buhari in order to attain the desired visible and sustainable development in the State.
Sen. Lokpobiri, also congratulated President Muhammadu Buhari, the APC Governors, especially Governors of Kebbi and Jigawa States, and the National Leadership of the Party, for the victory of the party at the polls.
