BREAKING: Alaibe rejects PDP governorship primary results

Timi Alaibe, an aspirant in the just concluded Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primary in Bayelsa State, has rejected the result of the primary.

Douye Diri, a senator representing Bayelsa Central, won the primary.

The senator scored 561 votes, while Mr Alaibe, who was his major rival in the primary, scored 365.

Twenty-one aspirants, including the deputy governor of the state, Gboribiogha Jonah, contested for the PDP ticket.

Mr Jonah scored 62 votes.

Mr Alaibe issued a statement on Wednesday saying the result of the primary was affected by “inherent flaws bordering on crass disrespect for legal procedures and party guidelines”.

Mr Alaibe said, “For instance, by the provisions of Section 50(1) of the Party Constitution, the authority to formulate guidelines for all matters relating to the governorship primary is vested in the NEC of the PDP. The election of ad-hoc delegates is one of such matters.

“Strangely, the panel set up to undertake this exercise simply imposed on us a list of electoral and returning officers prepared by the state officers of the party who are avowed members of the orchestrated Restoration Team. Thus, the process was deliberately handed over to the Restoration Team.