Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu polled 277,192 votes in the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential direct primary held across Bayelsa State on Saturday, May 23, 2026, in an exercise described by Governor Douye Diri as peaceful, festive and a clear demonstration of the party’s growing dominance in the state. Governor Diri, who served as the state’s Coordinator and Collation Officer for the presidential primary, declared the results at the collation centre at the Chief DSP Alamieyeseigha Memorial Banquet Hall in Yenagoa. The president’s only challenger, Mr. Stanley Osifo, secured just five votes, all from Yenagoa Local Government Area, underscoring the overwhelming support for Tinubu within the Bayelsa APC.
According to a breakdown of results presented by returning officers from each of the eight local government areas, Tinubu scored 39,454 votes in Brass, 45,949 in Ekeremor, 22,593 in Kolokuma/Opokuma, 32,487 in Nembe, 24,896 in Ogbia, 46,283 in Sagbama, 34,692 in Southern Ijaw, and 30,834 in Yenagoa. The total votes cast across the 105 wards in the state amounted to 277,197 for Tinubu, with Osifo’s five votes bringing the overall valid count to 277,202. Collation was observed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Resident Electoral Commissioner in Bayelsa, Isah Ehimeakhe, the commission’s Administrative Secretary, Mrs. Eme Akpa, as well as the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Daniel Iyamah, and service commanders.
Addressing party faithful after the exercise, Governor Diri, who had personally voted in his Sampou/Kalama Ward 6 in Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area, expressed delight at the peaceful conduct of the primaries, noting that the process marked a departure from the “toxic” primaries that had previously plagued the party in the state. He stressed that no single individual could win an election without collective support and urged members to close ranks ahead of the 2027 general election. “As our party chairman already informed us, the party at the national level graciously asked me to be the returning officer and the chief collation officer. You have conducted yourselves so well. The exercise has been peaceful, calm, and in some areas more of a festive mood,” Diri said. “To all those who contested and lost, you still have to be party men. I’m seeing a lot of them here, and that shows they are sportsmen. They belong to APC and they are going nowhere.”
The Bayelsa governor expressed confidence that with the party’s unity and the strength of incumbency at both state and federal levels, the APC was well-positioned to dominate the 2027 elections. “If all of these people here will go back to our wards, can’t we deliver? Can anybody beat us in Bayelsa State? It is a very big capital No. We have the human beings that know the strategies of elections. With our numerical strength and incumbency, it is game over in Bayelsa State,” he declared.
Speaking to party faithful and supporters after voting in his ward, Governor Diri said the APC remained the only party offering hope to Nigerians through the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda. He acknowledged that the reforms undertaken by the current administration were painful but maintained that they were necessary for long‑term prosperity. Diri also expressed confidence that the restructuring of Nigeria was possible under Tinubu, describing him as one of the few leaders with the experience, democratic credentials and political will to transform the country. “Restructuring remains critical to addressing the nation’s recurring ethnic, religious and political challenges,” he said. Citing Tinubu’s role in Nigeria’s pro‑democracy struggle and his involvement in the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) during the military era, the governor argued that the president was one of the best‑qualified leaders to champion a restructuring agenda.
The event was attended by a host of top APC chieftains in Bayelsa State, including Deputy Governor Dr. Peter Akpe, Senator Konbowei Benson (Bayelsa Central), House of Representatives members Oforji Oboku (Yenagoa/Kolokuma/Opokuma federal constituency) and Rodney Ambaiowei (Southern Ijaw federal constituency), as well as the State APC Chairman, Hon. Warman Ogoriba. Also present were the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri; Speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Abraham Ingobere; Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku; and the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Basin Development Authority, Prince Ebitimi Amgbare, among other party stalwarts, stakeholders and members.
The direct primary, which allowed all registered APC members in Bayelsa’s 105 wards to vote, was part of a nationwide exercise in which President Tinubu was expected to be formally adopted as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 general election. While the president had token opposition from Stanley Osifo, the result was never in doubt. The Bayelsa primary, however, stood out for its peaceful conduct and the unity displayed by party members, in contrast to the factional battles that have often characterised APC events in the state. Governor Diri’s role as returning officer, a national assignment given to a governor who is also an incumbent seeking re‑election, signals the party’s confidence in his leadership and his ability to mobilise support for the president in the South‑South region.
As the collation results were announced and party members celebrated, the message from Bayelsa was clear: the APC is united, the president is unstoppable, and the opposition faces an uphill battle in 2027. For Governor Diri, the primary was not just about rubber‑stamping a victory for Tinubu; it was also about positioning himself and his state for a second term. With the governorship election scheduled for later in 2027, the governor’s own re‑election campaign is likely to benefit from the momentum generated by the president’s overwhelming endorsement. As the party turns its attention to the general election, the words of the Bayelsa helmsman will echo across the state: “It is game over in Bayelsa State.”
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