THE All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate David Lyon was, early this morning, declared Bayelsa State governor-elect by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Lyon, 49, will succeed outgoing Governor Seriake Dickson, who has ruled the state since 2012
The APC thus ended the 20-year political dominance of the oil-rich Bayelsa State by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Returning Officer Prof. Faraday Orumwense, vice-chancellor of the University of Benin, declared Lyon winner with 352,552 votes in Saturday’s election. He won six of the eight local government areas
PDP’s candidate Senator Duoye Diri, who came a distant second, polled 143,172 votes. He won in two local government areas.
There was jubilation in Yenagoa as soon as the Returning officer declared Lyon winner at the Prof. Mahmood Yakubu Media Centre, INEC Office, in Yenagoa.
Many people trooped to the streets of the state capital in celebration
Communities and riverine areas in distant parts of the state also rolled out drums to rejoice in anticipation of the beginning of a new era.
Most bars in Yenagoa declared free drinks in excitement that a ‘creek boy’ had become their governor.
Diri defeated Lyon in Sagbama, Governor Dickson’s home local government where he scored 60,339 votes to Lyon’s 7,831 votes
He also won in his Kolokuma-Opokuma Local Government scoring 15,360 votes to beat Lyon, who polled 8,934 votes.
Lyon won in the remaining six local government areas.
In Nembe , he won by a landslide scoring 83,041 votes to trounce his PDP’s counterpart who got only 874 votes.
Minister of State Petroleum and former Governor Timipre Sylva, delivered his Brass Local Government Area to Lyon. The APC candidate polled 23,831 votes to defeat Diri, who scored 10, 410 votes.
The APC candidate also won in State capital Yenagoa Local Government, scoring 24,607 to Diri’s 19,184 votes.
The APC and Lyon won Ogbia, the Local Government home of former President Goodluck Jonathan with a wide margin.
Lyon trounced Diri with 58,016 votes to 13,763 votes.
In his home Southern Ijaw Local Government , the APC candidate floored his opponent with a massive 124,803 votes to 4,898 votes.
In Ekeremor, Lyon polled 21,489 while Diri gathered 18,344 votes.
Diri, at a briefing on Sunday, rejected the result.
