Lasun Alagbe
The Peoples Democratic Party has experienced an unusual loss in Bayelsa State as the All Progressives Congress candidate, David Lyon, has been declared winner of Saturday’s governorship election.
It is a surprising, projection-shattering result that has kept many people talking.
Lyon’s emergence will, however, remind followers of Nigerian politics the case of Michael Otedola, who emerged Lagos State Governor following unbridled rivalry and ambition by either of the likely candidates, Femi Agbalajobi and Dapo Sarumi.
In the tradition of something in a name, Yorubas then quickly remembered the meaning of ‘Otedola’, which is like feud or enmity gives birth to honour.
In the case of Lyon, it is an open secret that he enjoyed the support of PDP’s former President Goodluck Jonathan and his influential and goal-getting wife, Patience.
They had lost their patience with the outgoing governor, Seriake Dickson, who insisted on a candidate other than their choice.
In the end, the Otedola law has taken it course and, many believe, Dickson will be licking his wounds now for daring the Jonathans.
INEC’s Returning Officer, Prof. Faraday Orumwense, Vice Chancellor, University of Benin, who anounced the result, said APC polled 352,552 votes to win in the election.
He said APC’s closest rival, Duoye Diri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), polled 143, 172 votes.
The returning officer said that the total vote cast in the election was 505,884 votes, total valid votes 499,551, while the total rejected votes stood at 6,333.
Orumwnese said APC won the election in six Local Government Areas, while PDP won in two.
He declared Lyon winner and duly elected governor having polled the highest number of votes in the contest.
From the results declared by INEC in Southern Ijaw local government area, APC polled 124,803 votes, while PDP scored 898 votes.
In Ekeremor Local Government Area, APC polled 21, 489 votes and PDP scored 18, 344 votes.
In Sagbama, PDP polled 60,339 votes and APC got 7,831 votes.
In Brass, APC scored 23, 831 votes, while PDP polled 10,410 votes.
The results showed that APC polled 83,041 votes in Nembe anf PDP polled 874 votes.
In Kolokuma-Opokuma Local Government Area, APC got 8,934 votes, while PDP polled 15,360 votes.
According to the results declared by INEC, APC polled 24,608 votes while PDP polled 19,184 votes in Yenagoa Local Government Area,
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the total number of registered voters in the state is 922, 562 while the total number of collated voter cards is 889,308.
