Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri on Wednesday emerged candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the November 11, 2023 governorship election.

Diri won the ticket with a total of 305 votes as the sole aspirant of the party out of 313 votes cast during the primaries which took place at Dr. Gabriel Okara Cultural Centre in Yenagoa. Eight votes were declared invalid.

Addressing the delegates and party stakeholders, chairman of the PDP electoral panel and governor of Osun State, Ademola Adeleke, said Diri having satisfied the statutory requirements of the primaries was declared winner.

In his remarks before the exercise, Adeleke called for peaceful conduct of the process in accordance with the party’s constitution and relevant provisions of the Nigerian constitution.

Adeleke said Bayelsa is a PDP state and also enjoined members to ensure that it remains so by re-electing Diri.

He said: “Bayelsa is a PDP state. We must make sure it remains so in the coming election. We have to join hands together and make sure the governor retains his seat by the special grace of God.”

In his acceptance speech, Senator Diri expressed gratitude to the delegates and the party for giving him the ticket to contest for a second term in office.

Diri described the process as unprecedented in the history of the state as he was returned unopposed, noting that once a candidate was given the party’s ticket it was as good as winning the election since Bayelsa is dominantly a PDP state.

While appreciating the support of the people, particularly the delegates, the governor commended the process, stating that even when the state had the best-performing governors, they had to contend with other aspirants.

Diri said: “Whereas, in an unprecedented turn of events, I was the sole aspirant who picked the nomination and expression of interest forms to contest on the platform of our great party as its flag bearer in the November 2023 governorship election.

“It is, therefore, with utmost joy and profound gratitude I accept your kind endorsement of the process. I am truly humbled by your confidence in me to seek a second term to continue building the human and physical bridges that will lead us to the shared prosperity that our founding fathers envisaged for our people.

“Today is the beginning of an end; the culmination of the start of the process that, hopefully, by the grace of God and the will of the good people of Bayelsa State, will lead us back to Creek Haven for a second tenure.

“But what we have done today is only the necessary first steps in a long and hard journey before we will arrive at our desired destination.

“Dear delegates and leaders, we are conscious of the fact that in a democracy, people must be allowed to vote, their votes must be counted and their votes must count. So, whereas, in keeping with our well-entrenched culture of obedience to democratic ethos, the PDP will continue to trust the people to endorse our aspiration to lead.”

Secretary of the electoral panel and Kaduna South Senator-elect, Sunday Katung, said there were 323 delegates out of which 315 were accredited while eight were not accredited.

Party stakeholders present at the event included wife of the governor, Gloria Diri; the deputy governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo; former governor and Senator representing Bayelsa West, Seriake Dickson; and the former deputy governor. Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John Jonah (retd).

Others were the Senator representing Bayelsa Central, Cleopas Moses; House of Representatives members for Sagbama-Ekeremor Federal Constituency and Ogbia Federal Constituency, Fred Agbedi and Fred Obua respectively; Speaker of the House of Assembly, Abraham Ingobere; his deputy, Michael Ogbere; and other state legislators among others.