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Bayelsa: See Why Oshiomhole Is Right, PDP Candidate Can't Be Sworn-In

opera.com

Feb 13, 2020 9:05 PM

The nation is still stunned by the Supreme Court judgement delivered on the November 2019 governorship elections held in Bayelsa. The five-member Supreme Court panel had invalidated the candidacy of the All Progressives Congress, APC, David Lyon and his running mate and ordered that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, issue a fresh certificate of return to the candidate of the party with the next highest votes who meet the constitutional requirements.

While the People's Democratic Party, PDP, and its candidate have rushed to the street and the media to celebrate, a close perusal of the election results of the actual elections last year shows that the candidate of the PDP, Duoye Diri, and his running mate also failed to meet the minimum constitutional requirements to be sworn-in as governor. This may mean that's it's too early to celebrate.

The constitution is quite clear that to be declared winner of a governorship election, such candidate must have garnered at least 25% votes in at least two-thirds of the total number of local government areas of the state. Two-thirds means that for a candidate to be sworn-in, he must have garnered at least 25% votes in at least 66.7% of the total local governments in the state. The PDP candidate fell agonizingly short, at about 63 percent.

Bayelsa is quite peculiar in this regard with only 8 LGAs, the winner of a governorship election must garner at least 25% of votes in at least six Local Government Areas, LGAs. This means that 25 percent votes in five out of eight LGAs that the PDP candidate got in this case is not enough to have him sworn-in. According to the constitution he needs 25 percent in six states. Even if sworn-in, a strict interpretation of the constitution will have him removed before long.

This is surely going to bring up a constitutional crisis because you can be sure that APC and PDP are in for another round of anxious returns to the courtrooms. 

A summary of the governorship elections results are as follows 

Ekeremor LGA results: Passed

APC: 21,489

PDP: 18,344 

Southern Ijaw LGA results: Failed 

APC: 124,803

PDP: 4,898

Ogbia LGA results: Failed 

APC: 58,016

PDP: 13,763

Yenagoa LGA results: Passed 

APC: 24,607

PDP: 19,184

Brass LGA results: Passed

APC: 23,831

PDP: 10,410

Kolokuma/Opokuma LGA results: Passed

APC: 8,934

PDP: 15,360

Nembe LGA results: Failed 

APC: 83,041

PDP:  874

Sagbama LGA results: Passed 

APC: 7,831

PDP: 60,339