… there’s no victor, no vanquish, Lyon, Gov-elect

By Emem Idio, Yenagoa

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Thursday, at the Bayelsa State INEC Headquarters Yenagoa, presented Certificates of Return to the winners of the Bayelsa State Governorship election, Chief David Lyon and Senator Degi Eremienyon, of the All Progressives, Congress (APC).

Also presented with a certificate of return is the winner of the supplementary election for Brass State Constituency 1 of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Mr Charles Daniel.

The INEC State headquarters located along Swali Road was turned into a carnival by jubilant supporters of the APC, who drum and danced while the ceremony lasted.

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In her remarks before the presentation of the certificate of return to the Governor-elect and Deputy Governor-elect, the INEC National Commissioner in charge of Bayelsa, Rivers and Edo States, Mrs May Agbamuche-Mbu, said the presentation was in fulfillment of Section 75 (1a) the Electoral Act as amended which mandates the Commission to present certificates of return to winners of election within seven days, adding that the ceremony marked the end of a process which started in May.

Also in his remarks, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, in charge of Bayelsa State, Pastor Monday Tom, who presented the certificate of return to the House of Assembly member-elect, said he was grateful to God that under his watch, Bayelsa State was able to conduct one of the most peaceful and violence-free elections in the history of the state without recording any deaths.

According to the REC, he had to engage himself on fourteen days fasting and prayers to seek divine intervention for a violence-free election and clement weather throughout the election. He urged the winners to be magnanimous in victory and the losers to be gallant in defeat.

In his remarks, the Governor-elect, Chief David Lyon, commended Bayelsans for coming out en-masse to vote him as governor and promised not to disappoint the confidence reposed on him by the people.

While appealing for all to come together to move the state forward, he said all the contestants in the electoral process are winners, adding that there were no losers in the election.

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His words: “Today is historic in the political space of Bayelsa State, I extend my greetings to the good people of Bayelsa who took pains to decide their vote in a peaceful election recorded so far in the history of Bayelsa. Let me assure you, Bayelsa money is not David Lyon’s money or my Deputy Governor money, Bayelsa money will be used to develop Bayelsa State

“Today, David Lyon and the APC is signing a contract with Bayelsans to develop Bayelsa State. The contract is to bring peace in Bayelsa State so that investments can come on board. I assure that we will not disappoint Bayelsans. In an election we have a lot of contestants and today by the will of God I have emerged the winner, that does not mean that others did not win. All of us are winners and there is no loser.

“This is a time for us come together, please Bayelsans, we have loose a lot, we have missed a lot, let us come together to develop our great state. I remain grateful to INEC for doing a good job, the security agents, this is the first time in the history of Bayelsa State that election is peaceful.”

Vanguard News