PHOTOS: Celebration In Bayelsa As Dickson Wins

Bayelsans have trooped out on the streets of the state capital, Yenagoa, to celebrate the re-election of Governor Seriake Dickson of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for another term of four years.

Dickson, 49, won seven out of the eight local governments in the election defeating his closest rival, Chief Timipre Sylva of the All Progressives Congress (APC) after a keenly contested election.

Dickson scored a total of 134,998 votes to beat  Sylva, who scored 86,852 votes in the supplementary election. Merged with the result of the December 5, 2015 election, the governor polled a total number of 134, 998 votes, while Sylva polled 86,852 votes.

The election was characterised by pockets of violence in most parts of the state where the election was held as there were several reports of ballot box snatching, intimidation of voters and diversion of electoral materials.

Yesterday, January 10, as the results were being collated at the INEC office in Yenagoa, reports filtered in that the paramount ruler of Peremabiri community in Southern Ijaw local government,  Progress Neverdie, popularly known as ”progress never die’‘ was shot by unknown gunmen.

On Saturday, January 9, armed thugs caused havoc in Ekeremor town, Ekeremor local government area bringing all electoral activities to a halt.

Also, in Southern Ijaw local government, precisely in Amassoma Grammar School, men of the Joint Task Force have repelled efforts by armed political thugs who attempted to hijack electoral materials meant for some units in the ward.

Meanwhile, the Senator representing Bayelsa East Constituency in Bayelsa state, Senator Ben Murray Bruce, has sent a congratulatory message to Governor Dickson over his re-election as governor of the state.