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Tag: Douye Diri

  • BREAKING: Bayelsa Governor-elect, Diri receives Certificate of Return

    BREAKING: Bayelsa Governor-elect, Diri receives Certificate of Return

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has presented Certificate of Return to candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Douye Diri, as winner of the Bayelsa 2019 governorship election, in compliance with the Supreme Court judgment.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Diri was presented the certificate of return on Friday at INEC headquarters in Abuja by the National Commissioner in charge of South/South, Mrs May Agbamuche-Mbu.

    Earlier at a media briefing, INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu said the Commission had received the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgement of the apex court, which disqualified the Deputy Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and vitiated the joint ticket of the party earlier declared winner in the election.

    In compliance with the orders of the Supreme Court, the Commission met this morning and reviewed the result of the election in which 45 political political parties contested.

    Without the votes scored by the All Progressives Congress (APC), whose candidates were deemed not to have participated in the election, the total number of lawful and valid votes cast in the election now stand at 146,999.

    Out of this figure, the candidate of the PDP scored the highest number of lawful votes with 143,172. Similarly, the Party has scored more than 25% of the lawful votes cast in all the eight (8) Local Government Areas of the State.

    “Furthermore, the total number of registered in places where election was not held or cancelled as a result of sundry violations is 90,822. The candidate of the Accord party has the next highest score with 1,339 votes. The margin of lead between the candidates of the PDP and the Accord party is 141,833 votes. With this outcome, the election is conclusive at first ballot.

    “Consequently, Senator Douye Diri and Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo of the PDP are hereby declared winners and returned elected as Governor and Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State respectively,” the INEC Chairman stated at a media.

    Receiving the certificate, Diri commended INEC and the judiciary for being the “last hope of the common man.”

    “We pray and hope that God will heal our land, Bayelsa, and Nigeria. God has taken us through wide road and the road has taught us reconciliation, lessons” Diri said.

    The Supreme Court on Thursday sacked David Lyon and Sen. Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo, as governor and deputy governor-elect in the Nov. 16, 2019 Bayelsa governorship election.

    Justice Ejembi Eko, who delivered the lead judgment, reinstated the Nov. 12, 2019, judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja which disqualified Degi-Eremieoyo from participating in the governorship poll.

    The court held that the trial court was right in finding the deputy guilty of presenting false information to INEC.

    The Justice Mary Odili-led panel, held that no person shall be qualified to contest election if he presented false information for the purpose of election.

    The apex court ordered that the certificate of return be withdrawn immediately from the governor and his deputy and be issued to the candidate with the second highest votes in the Nov. 16, 2019 election.

    Diri was accompanied to INEC by some party leaders and his supporters.

  • Douye Diri’s victory: Atiku demands consistency from Supreme Court

    Douye Diri’s victory: Atiku demands consistency from Supreme Court

    Following the victory of Senator Douye Diri at the Supreme Court on Thursday, presidential candidate of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 election, and former vice president, Atiku Abubakar quickly congratulated the new Bayelsa State Governor.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the Supreme Court sacked, along with his Deputy, Biobarakuma Degi-Eremieoyo, the Governor-elect of Bayelsa State, David Lyon, whom unconfirmed reports say was already rehearsing for his botched swearing in ceremony of Friday.

    To make sense of Atiku’s speech following Diri’s victory, one would want to first consider that the same Supreme Court threw out Atiku’s case contesting the outcome of the 2019 presidential election that returned President Muhammadu Buhari for second term.

    Recall that the Supreme Court also uncharacteristically declared, winner, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Hope Uzodinma, the third runner up in the Governorship election that was held in Imo.

    The Supreme Court judgement of Uzodinma, especially drew criticisms, even from Atiku, who has advised the apex court to be consistent in its judgments, and find the resolve to always deliver just judgments no matter whose ox is gored.

    “The Lords Justices have given us another opportunity to show Nigerians that power belongs to the people,” Atiku said, adding, “I urge the Supreme Court to show consistency in its judgments and find the resolve to always deliver just-judgments no matter whose ox is gored. The people of Nigeria are behind the apex court in whatever they do to free themselves from the dominance of dictatorial forces”.

    In the congratulatory message to Diri, Atiku called on the people of the State to make peace with the recent past and embrace the future together, united in the mission to transform the state into a haven of peace and prosperity.

    He also revealed that Diri had visited him before the elections and received his blessings and counsel, stressing that he wad fully satisfied that Diri has what it takes to make Bayelsa the ‘glory of all lands’.

    Read full congratulatory message below:

    I received the verdict of the Supreme Court, declaring the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the Bayelsa state gubernatorial elections, Senator Douye Diri, as the duly elected Governor of the state, with gladness.

    Senator Douye Diri had cause to visit with me before the elections and received my blessings and counsel. I am fully satisfied that he has what it takes to make Bayelsa the ‘glory of all lands’. His intellect, personality and character, are a credit to Bayelsa and the PDP.

    I congratulate Senator Douye Diri and his running mate, Mr. Lawrence Ewhrujakpor. I also felicitate with the Peoples Democratic Party. The Lords Justices have given us another opportunity to show Nigerians that power belongs to the people, and we must make good use of this opportunity.

    I call on all the people of Bayelsa to make peace with the recent past and embrace the future together, united in the mission to transform the state into a haven of peace and prosperity.

    Finally, I urge the Supreme Court to show consistency in its judgments and find the resolve to always deliver just-judgments no matter whose ox is gored. The people of Nigeria are behind the apex court in whatever they do to free themselves from the dominance of dictatorial forces.

  • Senator Diri emerges PDP governorship candidate in Bayelsa

    Senator Diri emerges PDP governorship candidate in Bayelsa

    The Senator representing Bayelsa Central Senatorial District at the National Assembly, Douye Diri, has emerged the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the November 16 governorship election in Bayelsa State.

    Out of the the 1,244 accredited voters, Diri scored 561 votes to defeat his closest rival and former Managing Director, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Chief Ndutimi Alaibe, who polled 365 votes.

    Keniebi Okoko, a businessman and philanthropist came third after scoring 142 votes in the election, which was contested by 21 aspirants.

    About 16 votes were declared invalid following multiple voting and other unrecognised patterns of casting ballots.

    Diri emerged from the Restoration Caucus of the PDP led by Governor, Seriake Dickson, who presented him as the preferred aspirant of the caucus a day before the election.

    The election of Diri as PDP’s flag bearer further reinforced Dickson’s repeated assertion that his caucus remained a dominant force in the PDP and the state.

    The election was adjudged free, fair and credible apart from pockets of violence that occurred during the accreditation, which was repelled by security operatives.

    Declaring him winner of the election, the Returning Officer and Governor of Taraba State, Darius Ishiaku, said Diri satisfied all conditions contained in the constitution of the PDP having scored the highest number of the vote cast.

    A breakdown of the accredited delegates according to their local government areas showed that 196 were from Southern Ijaw; 169, Yenagoa; 164, Sagbama and 150, Ogbia.

    Others were Nembe, 151; Ekeremor, 148; Kolokuma-Opokuma, 141 and Brass 125.

    Arrangements for actual voting commenced at about 11pm following the arrival of the Returning Officer and Governor of Taraba State, Darius Ishaku, his committee members and observers from the National Independent Electoral Commission (INEC).

    Ishaku invited the agents of the parties to come forward to be guided through the process and read the Riot Act to the delegates and aspirants.

    A former Chairman of Southern Ijaw, Chief Tiwe Oruminighe, who was an agent of one of the aspirants and former Managing Director, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) observed that the state party officials should stop identifying with the committee since they were delegates and interested parties.

    Ishaku ordered the Chairman of the party, Cleopas Moses and the party secretary, Keku Godspower to be at the rows allocated to their local government areas.

    Former President Goodluck Jonathan arrived the Gabriel Okara Cultural Centre, the venue of the governorship primaries.

    Jonathan, who arrived at about 11:20pm, was given thunderous ovation by the delegates and was also recognised by the Governor of Taraba State and Returning Officer, Darius Ishaku

    The former President after exchanging pleasantries with the electoral committee went to sit at the row allocated to Ogbia, his Local Government Area.

    The Darius Ishaku-led electoral committee distorted the alphabetical order of voting to allow former President Goodluck Jonathan the privilege of voting first in the primaries.

    Jonathan was asked to lead delegates from Ogbia, his Local Government Area, to cast their votes first instead of Brass local government area, which should have come first by alphabetical order.

    Dickson was also given a privileged treatment after Jonathan as he was asked to lead the Sagbama delegates followed by his Deputy, who led the Nembe delegates.