Timipre Sylva, the immediate past Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, has clinched the All Progressives Congress, APC, governorship ticket in Bayelsa State.
It comes after the Presidency confirmed Sylva’s resignation to join the Bayelsa State governorship race.
On Friday, APC in Bayelsa State commenced primary across 105 wards to choose the party’s flagbearer in the November 11 election.
Declaring the results, at the state’s party Secretariat in Yenagoa, the 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 mentioned that 142,031 were the total number of voters registered, while 58,121 voters were the total number accredited that 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 and Ogbomade Johnson, 584 votes.
In his acceptance speech, Sylva lauded stakeholders, members and all those who contested the election for displaying discipline before, during and after the exercise, adding that the process to victory in the general election has just started.
He appreciated the party for finding him worthy of leading the party at a time Bayelsans needed good governance, stating that with him and the support of everyone, victory in the general election is sure.
Maciver, the first runner-up, promised to work in unity with the winner and all the party’s stakeholders to achieve the most significant project: unseat the PDP in the general election.
Sylva would battle the incumbent governor, Douye Diri, the flagbearer of the People’s Democratic Party governorship race in Bayelsa.
