Bayelsa Governor and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Douye Diri, has won five out of the six local government areas’ results so far declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The results of the governorship election, which started on Saturday, are being collated at the INEC head office in Yenagoa by the Collation Officer, Prof. Kuta Farouk, who is the Vice-Chancellor, Federal University of Technology, Minna.

Diri has so far won Kolokuma-Opokuma, Yenagoa, Ogbia, Sagbama and Ekeremor while his closest rival, Chief Timipre Sylva of the All Progressives Congress (APC) won Nembe Local Government Area.

The collation was adjourned till 6pm to announce results from two remaining local government areas of Brass and Southern Ijaw.

Diri has so far garnered 137,909 votes in the six LGAs announced while Sylva polled 68,154 votes with Udengs Eradiri of Labour Party getting only 703 votes.

But the collation centre almost became rowdy following the protest by the APC agent, Dennis Otiotio, who complained that 27,968 votes scored by APC in Nembe were cancelled by the local government area collation officers.

He said acting on the directive of the REC, the LGA officer cancelled results collated in four wards of Nembe.

Otiotio insisted that the officer acted illegally as he had no right to cancel results already collated at the units and wards of any local council.

He complained that the collation of results of all LGAs won by APC was forcefully moved to the INEC office in Yenagoa while areas won by the PDP were collated at the ward levels.

Otiotio held to his grounds that the disposition of the state collation Officer suggested that he did not want the APC agent at the collation centre.

But Prof. Farouk took exception to the comment and clarified that he only wanted all agents to document their complaints officially insisting that the centre had no power to resolve their issues.

The agent of the PDP, Chief Talford Ongolo, countered Otiotio saying the REC had the power to cancel collated results in areas marred by violence, bypass of the BVAs and abduction of INEC officials.

Below is the summary of all the six LGA results so far collated:

Kolokuma-Opokuma LGA

APC 5349

PDP 18,465

LP 22

2. Ogbia LGA, former President Goodluck Jonathan’s Local Government Area

Registered 119,571

Accredited 36,955

PDP wins with small margin

APC 16,319

PDP 18435

LP 57

Yenagoa LGA

Registered: 218,394

Accredited: 54,380

APC 14,534

PDP 37,777

LP 244

Valid votes: 53,052

Rejected: 1018

Vote cast: 54070

Sagbama LGA

Registered: 138,832

Accredited : 42879

APC: 6, 608

PDP: 35,504

LP: 217

Valid 42,467

Rejected: 393

Vote cast: 42860

Nembe LGA

Registered: 99,035

Accredited: 27,404

APC: 22,248

PDP: 4,556

LP: 113

Total valid votes 27,036

Total rejected 264

Vote cast 27300

Ekeremor LGA

Registered: 137,221

Accredited: 32,066

APC: 8,445

PDP: 23,172

LP: 50

Total valid votes: 31741

Rejected 279

Total Vote Cast 32,020

(The Nation)

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