From From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
Incumbent governor and candidate of the PDP, Senator Douye Diri and his main rival, Chief Timipre Sylva, would know their fate today when the final collation of Saturday’s governorship election is expected to be completed.
The final collation was shifted to 12 pm following the non-arrival of results from Southern Ijaw and Brass Local Government Areas.
As at the last local government, Ekeremor, was collated, Diri had opened an unassailable lead of 137, 900 votes against Sylva’s 73, 503 votes, a difference of 64, 404 votes.
In the first three local government areas namely, Yenagoa, Kolokuma/Opokuma and Ogbia announced, Diri had polled 74,677 votes against his closet rival, Timipre Sylva of the APC who had polled 36,202 votes.
In the other three local government area announced, Diri consolidated his lead winning two out of the three local government areas announced.
In Sagbama, the governor polled 35,504 votes while Sylva garnered 6,608 votes and the Labour Party candidate, Udengs Eradiri, got 217 votes.
In Nembe, Sylva polled 22, 248 votes to win the local government ahead of Diri who polled 4, 556 votes.
In Ekeremor, Diri won with 23, 172 votes against Sylva’s 8,445 votes.
Earlier yesterday, there was massive protest at the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC ) in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital, over concocted election results from Nembe Bassambiri.
Top Bayelsa based civil society operatives, women groups, youth groups, state and National Assembly members and other concerned citizens gathered at the office of INEC to protest alleged move by the top leadership of INEC to distort the votes in the Saturday election.
As early as 9am the angry protesters blocked the busy Swali Road location of INEC to prevail of the commission from accepting the results from Nembe Bassambiri which they said were concocted.
The state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Dambo Biriyai (SAN), told journalists during the protest that election did not take place in Nembe Bassambiri.
He called on INEC REC. Mr. Obo Effanga, and South South Commissioner for INEC, May Agbamuche-Mbu, to do what is right by rejecting the alleged fake results.
He stressed that PDP members who visited their country home of Bassambiri, were prevented entry by the combined team of SWAT police and APC thugs.
He stated furthering that the APC only wrote outrageous results that were not products of any voting.
“If what we are here for is allowed to go on, it would be a massive rape on democracy. We are here because we were disenfranchised in Nembe Bassambiri. And no voting took place there.”