The Deputy President of the Senate, Ovie Omo-Agege has congratulated the Bayelsa Governor-Elect, David Lyon on his victory in the Nov. 16 governorship election.
Similarly, the All Progressives Congress (APC), United Kingdom chapter, has congratulated Lyon for emerging victorious in the election.
Mr Yomi Odunuga, Special Adviser, Media and Publicity, to Omo-Agege made this known in a statement in Abuja on Monday.
The Deputy Senate President also commended the state and national leadership of the APC, particularly the National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole; Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva and other leaders who contributed immensely to the overwhelming success recorded at the polls.
He said that the victory had further confirmed that the APC’s overwhelming success at the last General Election was not a fluke.
Omo-Agege also thanked the people of the state for the confidence reposed in the party and its candidate, assuring that they would not be disappointed.
While urging Lyon to always remember that the electorate expects unreserved commitment to delivering the dividends of democracy to them, the lawmaker representing Delta Central Senatorial District called on aggrieved contestants to seek redress in court rather than resort to violence.
He expressed happiness for the APC in Bayelsa for finally breaking the jinx by becoming the second state in the South-South after Edo to come under APC’s control.
“With this development and the actualisation of the Next Level Agenda of the APC-led administration, it is certain that our party will clinch more states in the South-South geo-political zone in future elections.
“Like I have always said, it is possible for the APC to rule in the South-South beyond Edo. And I have been proven right with the final results from Bayelsa.
“This goes to show that with determination and tenacity of purpose, we can overcome what seems insurmountable.”
While congratulating Lyon, the UK chapter of the APC urged the newly elected governor to see his election as a call to higher service.
Mr Ade Omole, leader of the chapter said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Monday in Abuja while reacting to the development.
He described the victory of the governor-elect on the platform of APC as a clear statement from the electorate irrespective of their geographical divides.
According to him, the victory of Mr David Lyon after 20 years of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rule in Bayelsa has rubbished the assertion that the APC is not popular in some part of the country.
“With the victory, it is now crystal clear to all that our great party, the APC has the wherewithal and capability to win election in any part of the country,” Omole said.
He said allegations by the opposition that the election was not credible and characterised by violence were baseless and untrue and should be disregarded.
He urged other contestants in the election to see power as God’s instrument, saying that “He gives it to whomever he wishes.”
Omole, therefore, urged those who contested the election with the governor-elect to be courageous and congratulate the winner, adding that politics should be seen as sport where only one winner was expected to emerge.
He advised the winner to be magnanimous in victory and embrace others to take the state to amiable heights.
The News agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that Lyon polled 352,552 to defeat his closest rival Duoye Diri of the PDP who got 143,172 votes.
INEC’s Returning Officer and Vice-Chancellor University of Benin, Prof. Faraday Orunmuwese announced the result around 1:03a.m on Monday.
The APC recorded more than a landslide result in Southern Ijaw, polling 124,803 votes against the PDP’s 4,898 votes.
In Ogbia, the Local Government Area (LGA) of former President Goodluck Jonathan, Lyon got a massive vote of 58,016 to defeat the PDP’s Diri who scored 13,763 votes.
Also, Lyon won massively in Nembe, the LGA of former Governor of the State and Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva.
