Bayelsa PDP: Timi Alaibe Loses Governorship Primary

Timi Alaibe, a former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has again lost his bid to run for governorship of Bayelsa State.

Alaibe is believed to have wild spread support of grassroots in the state.

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He has been unable to realize his governorship ambition for the third time since 2006.

He was defeated at the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP guber primary by Senator representing Bayelsa Central in the National Assembly, Douye Diri.

Diri scored 561 votes to defeat Alaibe who scored 365 votes in the election conducted in Yenagoa on Tuesday night, spilling over to Wednesday morning.

The current Deputy Governor of Bayelsa, Gboribiogha Jonah, who was among the 21 governorship aspirants, scored 62 votes.

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While Diri is believed to enjoy the support of Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa and his Restoration Team, an influential bloc within the PDP in the state, Mr Alaibe had the support of the former President Goodluck Jonathan.

Diri is a former member of the House of Representatives. He was elected senator in 2019 into the national assembly.

He was a commissioner for youth and sports in the state when former president Jonathan was governor of Bayelsa.

Mr Alaibe, before the primary, alleged there were plots to undermine the electoral process.

“They have failed this time around because no degree of intrigues, no amount of manipulation and propaganda can push me out of this race. Nothing will change my decision to lift the lot of our people through purposeful leadership. I am here to stay and together we will win.

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“While winning to us is not a do or die affair, the process of choosing the party flag bearer should be made unquestionably transparent such that in the end, the outcome would be acceptable to all so that we could stand as one to face the real opponent,” Mr Alaibe had said, while protesting the conduct of the PDP ward congress in the state last week.

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