How Douye Diri Secured Second Term as Bayelsa Governor by Defeating Timipre Sylva

In a fiercely contested election in the oil-rich state of Bayelsa, Governor Douye Diri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) clinched a second term in office, surpassing his All Progressives Congress (APC) counterpart Timipre Sylva.

The Returning Officer for the election, Prof Faruq Kuta, declared Diri the winner after a prolonged electoral process. Diri expressed gratitude to the state’s residents for their support and pledged to fulfill his campaign promises in his second term.

Diri secured a total of 175,196 votes, while Sylva garnered 110,108 votes, marking a significant 65,088-vote lead for the PDP flagbearer. The Labour Party (LP) came in a distant third with 905 votes.

Sylva, a former Minister of State for Petroleum, faced a tumultuous campaign. A month before the election, a Federal High Court in Abuja disqualified him, citing constitutional breaches due to his previous terms as governor. Despite a later reversal by the Appeal Court, Sylva’s bid ended in defeat in the 2023 election.

During the collation of results, prominent PDP figures, including Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State, Governor Agbu Kefas of Taraba State, Senator Ben Murray-Bruce, and former National Chairman Uche Secondus, rallied in Yenagoa to bolster support for Diri’s re-election.

The victory secures Diri’s position as the leader of the coastal state, marking a significant political milestone in Bayelsa’s governance.