Bayelsa Decides: 45 Candidates Jostling For 889,308 Votes

Forty-five candidates are jostling for 889,308 votes in today’s gubernatorial election in Bayelsa state.

However, the events of the last one month have shown that today’s governorship poll is a two horse race between Senator Douye Diri of the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party and Chief David Lyon of the All Progressive Congress, APC.

Aside Pastor Ebizimo Diriyai of the Accord Party whose scintillating performance during the state governorship debate threw him into limelight as a candidate to watch out for, others could best be described as paper tigers only warming the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC list.

Interestingly, only one candidate would emerge at the end of the poll in which they are expected to fight for 889,308 votes.

The outcome of the poll is also expected to decide the political future and relevance of the incumbent Governor, Seriake Dickson and the current Minister of State for Petroleum and former governor of the state, Chief Timipre Sylva in the political equation of the state.

It could be recalled that the PDP has dominated the state for the past 20 years. However, the opposition party has repeatedly claimed it would dislodged the ruling party from the state house after today’s election.

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It could also be recalled that the ruling of Federal High Court, Yenagoa, which disqualified Lyon on the grounds of faulty APC primary as challenged by Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, may hurt the chances of Lyon. The APC has appealed the court decision, got a stay of execution, the INEC said the election will go on as planned, it is to be seen if the 11th hour ruling will have any impact.

This is one election many observers of unfolding events in the state are convinced that the power of incumbency may not count due to the overwhelming power of the central government.