Early indications suggest that Governor Douye Diri is leading the governorship race in Bayelsa State as collation of results progresses. Governor Diri, seeking re-election under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has garnered 13,396 votes in 131 random polling units, while his closest rival, Timipre Sylva of the All Progressives Congress (APC), secured 4,802 votes.
As of 11:03 pm on Saturday night, 85.29% of the results have been uploaded on the IReV portal, with 1,914 polling unit results out of the total 2,242.
Violence Mars Election Day
The election in Bayelsa State witnessed incidents of violence, intimidation, and ballot box snatching across various local government areas. Southern Ijaw LG experienced thuggery, with armed individuals disrupting the voting process in Olodiama, Ologbobiri, and other communities.
In Famgbe, a clash between supporters of the PDP and APC allegedly resulted in the death of an unidentified person, and sporadic gunshots were reported. Similar incidents occurred in Biseni, Agorogbene, Sagbama, Nembe, and Brass LGs, further highlighting the tense atmosphere.
Allegations of Vote-Buying
The Labour Party (LP) and PDP engaged in accusations of vote-buying. LP’s governorship candidate, Udengs Eradiri, accused Governor Diri of inducing voters with money. In response, the state Commissioner for Special Duties, Sinkumo Ekisah, dismissed the claim as a false alarm.
Postponement of Results Collation
The state’s returning officer, Faruk Adamu Kuta, announced on Saturday night the postponement of the results collation until 10 am Sunday morning.
