From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
The All Progressive Congress (APC) Governorship Election Committee for Bayelsa State has declared immediate past Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and former governor of the state, Chief Timipre Sylva as its standard-bearer for the November 11 2023 governorship election.
The chairman of the committee, Major General A.T Jibrin(rtd) who announced the results at the party secretariat after collation of results from the 105 wards in the eight local government areas of the state disclosed that Sylva polled 52,061 votes out of the 58, 141 votes cast in the election.
His closest rival, Joshua Maciver settled for a distant second position polling 2,078 votes while the governor-elect for the 2019 governorship election, Chief David Lyon polled 1582 votes. Other aspirants, Prof Maureen Etebu polled 1277 votes, while Mrs Ikisima Ogomade polled 584 and Mr Festus Daumiebi polling 557 votes.
Jibrin commended the aspirants and party members for their peaceful conduct and a hitch-free exercise which has produced a candidate for the party.
The agent of Sylva, Hon Israel Sunny- Goli in his remarks commended the election committee for their dedication and diligence during the exercise.
He assured that the party has taken the right step in picking Sylva whom he described as the next governor of Bayelsa State.
Sunny- Goli also expressed delight with the comportment of the other aspirants noting that APC Bayelsa is one big family.
Sylva in his acceptance speech said the party has an urgent task to reclaim the state which is in dire need of development.
While lamenting the state of development in the state, he criticised the PDP government for not paying attention to power generation and control of flooding in the state.
“I will not consider myself having won an election against fellow aspirants. Prof Etebu has already said there is no victor no vanquished and I adopt that in toto. We are one family; we are one people, one Bayelsa. And all of us have one paramount interest, that interest is the forward movement and progress and development of our dear state of Bayelsa State. This is what has driven us to contest and no one person individual and not I can claim to have the solution to the problems of Bayelsa state. It is a collective working by all of us that can bring development to the state.