Chief Timipre Sylva has been declared winner of the Bayelsa All Progressives Congress (APC)  governorship primary, held on Friday to pit him against PDP’s candidate and incumbent Governor Douye Diri in the state’s governorship election coming up in November.

The result of the primary was announced at the APC state Secretariat in Yenagoa by the Chairman of the election committee, retired Maj. Gen. A T. Jibrin rtd.

Jibrin said Sylva secured 52,061 to defeat five other contestants.

He said Joshua Machiver got 2,078, Festus Danumiebi, 557, Prof. Maureen Etebu, 1,277, Chief David Lyon, 1,584, and Mrs Isikima Johnson, 584 votes.

The committee chairman thanked all stakeholders in the state for the peaceful conduct of the governorship primary election.

In his acceptance speech, Sylva, a former minister, solicited the support of other contestants in order to secure victory for the APC.

Represented by Sunny Goli, a member of the House of Representatives, Sylva said: “Lets us work together as family to win the Bayelsa governorship election on Nov. 11, 2023”.