GUBER PRIMARIES: Sylva Emerges APC Candidate In Bayelsa

A former minister of state for petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylva, has emerged the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the November 11 gubernatorial election in Bayelsa State.

Sylva, who was declared winner at the weekend after the party’s primary election in all the 105 wards of the state defeated six others to clinch the party ticket.

Declaring the results at the APC Secretariat in Yenagoa, chairman of the APC electoral committee for the gubernatorial primary in the state, Maj. Gen. A.T Jubrin, said Sylva polled 52,061 votes to defeat his closest rival Joshua MacIver who got 2,078 votes.

He also said 142,031 was the total number of voters on the party’s register, while 58,121 voters were accredited to participated in the primary.

Other scores include Chief David Lyon, 1591 votes, Chief Festus Daumiebi, 557, Ongoebi Etebu Maureen 1277 votes, Joshua Maciver, 2078 votes while Ogbomade Johnson had 584 votes.

In his acceptance speech, Chief Timipre Sylva thanked stakeholders, members and all those who contested in the election for displaying discipline before, during and after the exercise, adding that the process to victory in the general election had just started.

He appreciated the party for finding him worthy to lead at a time Bayelsans needed good governance, stating that with him and the support of everyone victory in the general election was sure.

Chief Joshua Maciver, who was the first runner up, promised to work in unity with the winner and all the stakeholders of the party in achieving the biggest project which is to unseat the PDP in the general election.

In a related development, a special congress of the All Progressive Congress (APC) has ratified Ahmed Usman Ododo as the party’s governorship candidate in Kogi State.

The special congress presided over by the chairman, APC primary election committee, Zamfara State governor Bello Matawale, was held yesterday in Lokoja.

This followed the emergence of Ododo at the party’s governorship candidate at the primary held across all the 239 wards of the state.

Announcing the ratification, the secretary to the committee who represented Governor Matawale, Patrick Obahiagbon, said after the carefully conducted primary devoid of rancour having scored 78,704 votes, Alhaji Usman Ododo was returned as the governorship candidate that would fly the party’s flag in the November 11 governorship Election in the state”

In his acceptance speech, Ododo promised to continue to improve on the security template laid by Governor Alhaji Yayaha Bello.

Also speaking, Governor Bello said he was sure that Ododo would not disappoint, adding that the crowd there  was a pointer to his acceptability across the state and across board without consideration for ethnic or religious bias.