The All Progressive Congress (APC) presidential primaries in Bayelsa State concluded with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu emerging as the winner by a landslide. The election, conducted across all 105 wards and eight local government areas, saw Tinubu poll a total of 227,192 votes, while his sole opponent, Stanley Osifo, surprisingly garnered only five votes, all from the Yenagoa Local Government Area.
Peaceful Primaries
Announcing the results at the Banquet Hall, the state governor and returning officer, Senator Douye Diri, commended the peaceful atmosphere that prevailed throughout the party primaries across all wards. Diri stated that the exercise was conducted peacefully with full participation from party members. He declared, "I hereby certify that the results announced represent the true, correct, and accurate collation of votes from all local government areas in Bayelsa State. The process was conducted peacefully and in accordance with party guidelines." He praised party members for their orderly conduct, noting that the primary was largely peaceful across all wards and local government areas.
Observers Commend Process
Observers described the process as highly organized, with delegates and party officials commending the smooth collation process and absence of major disputes. The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, described the presidential primary in his Ekeremor Local Government Area as peaceful, transparent, and successful. Speaking after monitoring the exercise in Ward 8, Ekeremor, Lokpobiri commended APC members for their orderly conduct and commitment.
Broader Context
According to Lokpobiri, the presidential primary was part of the party's broader exercise to nominate candidates for the 2027 general elections, following earlier primaries for the Senate, House of Representatives, and State House of Assembly positions. He noted, "Today's exercise is specifically for the nomination of the APC presidential candidate for the 2027 election. As you can see, this is my ward, Ward 8 in Ekeremor, with over 13,000 registered APC members. By law, I am not eligible to vote or be voted for because I am a political appointee. However, I am here as an observer, and I am very happy that the exercise in my ward was peaceful and successful." Lokpobiri expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the primary across the local government area, saying reports from the 12 wards indicated that the exercise was peaceful throughout.
