The former Governor of Bayelsa State, His Excellency, Chief Henry Seriake Dickson, has clinched the Bayelsa West Senatorial District seat in the National Assembly.
INEC Returning Officer, Prof. Okechukwu Okeke, of the Federal University Otuoke, (FUO) said Mr Dickson polled 115,257 votes to defeat his closest rival, Peremobowei Ebebi of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who polled 17,500 votes.
Eleven political parties participated in the election.
Mr Dickson’s victory left the APC performing dismally in the two Bayelsa Senate seats bye-elections held Saturday.
The Central and West seats became vacant following the inauguration of Senators Douye Diri and Lawrence Ewhrujakpo as governor and deputy governor of Bayelsa respectively.
The APC fielded Peremobowei Ebebi for Bayelsa West and Abel Ebifemowei for Bayelsa Central.
Both candidates were defeated by PDP’s Mr Dickson (Bayelsa West) and Abel Ebifemowei (Bayelsa Central).
Chief Dickson who spoke in his country home of Toru Orua shortly after his return dedicated the victory to God, the voters, Bayelsa, and the Ijaw nation.
Mr Dickson recently completed an eight-year tour of duty as Bayelsa governor. Before then, he was a member of the House of Representatives to which he got elected after serving as attorney general and commissioner for justice in Bayelsa State.
He said he would exploit the opportunity of his contacts to build new bridges of understanding, consolidate existing bonds, and effective network with critical stakeholders.
The former Governor also said that the quest for electoral reforms and a deepened democratic system would command a major aspect of his mission at the Senate.
Assuring that he would link up with senators to call attention to the mindless rape of the Niger Delta environment by the multinational oil companies, the senator-elect also promised to focus attention on Police, law and order, and justice sector reforms.
