Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri has won the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) Governorship ticket for his re-election come 2023 ahead of the November election in the State.
Governor Diri who was the only aspirant polled 305 votes to be declared winner of the exercise out of the 313 votes cast during the primaries.
The exercise which took place at the Dr Gabriel Okara Cultural Centre in Yenagoa, the state capital, was conducted by Osun State, Governor, Adeleke Ademola.
According to Adeleke, who was the Electoral Chairman Panel, while addressing the delegates and party stakeholders, said Diri having satisfied the statutory requirements of the primaries was declared the winner.
In his remarks before the exercise, Adeleke called for peaceful conduct of the process in accordance with the party’s constitution and relevant provisions of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
According to him, Bayelsa is a PDP state and enjoined members to ensure that it remains so by electing Diri again.
He said: “Bayelsa is a PDP state. We must make sure it remains so in the coming election. We have to join hands together and make sure the governor retains his seat by the special grace of God.”
In his acceptance speech, Senator Diri expressed gratitude to the delegates and the party for giving him the ticket to contest for a second term in office.
Diri described the process as unprecedented in the history of the state as he was returned unopposed, noting that once a candidate was given the party’s ticket it was as good as winning the election since Bayelsa is dominantly a PDP state.
While appreciating the support of the people, particularly the delegates, the governor commended the process, stating that even when the state had best-performing governors, they had to contend with other aspirants.
Diri said: “Whereas, in an unprecedented turn of events, I was the sole aspirant who picked the nomination and expression of interest forms to contest on the platform of our great party as its flagbearer in the November 2023 governorship election.
“It is, therefore, with utmost joy and profound gratitude I accept your kind endorsement of the process. I am truly humbled by your confidence in me to seek a second term to continue building the human and physical bridges that will lead us to the shared prosperity that our founding fathers envisaged for our people.
