An aggrieved governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress in Bayelsa State, Festus Daumiebi, has rejected the outcome of the party’s primary election for the November 11 governorship poll.
Timipre Sylva, former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, emerged as the APC governorship candidate after he defeated Daumiebi and four other contenders in the exercise conducted on Friday and Saturday in the state.
Sylva was declared the winner by the chairman of the APC primary election committee, Major-Gen. Ahmed Jibrin, who announced the result at the party’s secretariat in Yenagoa on Saturday.
Sylva polled 52,061 votes to clinch the party’s ticket while former militant leader, Joshua Maciver came second with 2,078 votes.
The APC governorship candidate in 2019, David Lyon came third with 1,584 votes; while Prof. Ongoebi Etebu, Isikima Johnson and Daumiebi scored 1, 277; 584; and 557 votes, respectively.
However, Daumiebi in a statement he issued on Sunday in Yenagoa, rejected the result and demanded the cancellation of the primaries.
He claimed that the election did not hold in the wards across the state as party officials who should have conducted the exercise did not turn up and electoral materials were nowhere to be found.
Daumiebi said, “Notice is hereby given to the general public, particularly the APC in Bayelsa state and the National Executive Council that I Festus Daumiebi Sunday, Governorship aspirant of the APC do reject in its entirety what was announced as the result of the party primary election.
“Let it be known that on Friday, April 14, 2023, some card-carrying members of the All Progressives Congress turned out at various wards to cast their vote in what was promised to be a free, fair and credible primary election. They waited all day but sadly there was no election in the wards across the State as officials of the party who were sent to conduct the election failed to turn up. Neither were their electoral materials seen in the said Wards.
“In selected places, they tried to pass off a simulation of an election, the process was undermined, marred by irregularities and heavily compromised. Party officials failed to abide by the party guidelines and agreed processes. Upon reaching the Party secretariat on Saturday, April 15, I was shocked to observe that ‘heavy numbers have been concocted for their preferred aspirant and then a return was made in the open as programmed.”
While urging his supporters to remain calm, the governorship aspirant said that he would challenge the outcome of the primary legally.
“Nevertheless, let me express my profound appreciation to all those who worked tirelessly for the new Bayelsa project. Though you were deprived of the opportunity to vote, do not despair. I urge you to remain calm and law-abiding as we shall explore all legal means to challenge the outcome.”