1. Heineken Lokpobiri

Heineken Lokpobiri is the immediate past Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development. He was a two-term senator for Bayelsa West between 2007 and 2015 under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), his party before he decamped to the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) and was appointed minister by President Muhammadu Buhari.



PREMIUM TIMES on August 15 obtained a video showing Mr Lokpobiri telling the potential delegates to vote for him in exchange for money in the coming primaries of the party. He is a strong advocate of an indirect primary for selecting the party’s candidate for the election.

2. Preye Aganaba Steven


Preye Aganaba Steven is an engineer and one of the founding members of the APC in Bayelsa.

Mr Aganaba, a close ally of the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, contested for the Bayelsa Central Senatorial election in 2015 but lost to Emmanuel Paulker of the PDP.

He is one of the aspirants that expressed a preference for indirect primary.



3. ONGOEBI ETEBU

Maureen Etebu was appointed the pioneer Vice-Chancellor of the Nigerian Maritime University, Okorenkoko, Delta State, in 2015, by the then President, Goodluck Jonathan.

She is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering and arguably the most certified aspirant in the race for the party ticket. She has three PhD degrees.


Professor Ongoebi Maureen Etebu
Professor Ongoebi Maureen Etebu

The former Commissioner for Special Duties under the late Governor Diepreye Alamiesiagba administration is one of two women in the race for the ticket.



4. EBITIMI AMGBARE

Ebitimi Amgbare contested as the governorship candidate of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), now APC, in 2007. He was considered then as the main contender to the current Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva, who emerged as the winner under the platform of PDP in Bayelsa State.


Mr Amgbare successfully challenged the election tribunal’s decision that upheld Mr Sylva’s victory at the Appeal Court in Port-Harcourt, leading to the appointment of the Speaker of the State House of Assembly as interim governor until a new poll on May 24, 2008, restored Mr Sylva as governor.

Mr Amgbare is a kinsman of the incumbent governor, Seriake Dickson, from Sagbama Local Government iArea and was a commissioner for youth and sports in the state.



5. DISEYE POWEIGHA

Diseye Nsirim-Poweigba is a retired police commissioner and the second female aspirant cleared by the party NWC on Tuesday. Her campaign promises hinge on national security and employment creation.

She was born in the Kolokuma/Opokuma LGA of Bayelsa State in the 1950s.

Ms Diseye joined the Nigeria Police Force as a Cadet Officer in 1979 and rose through the ranks to be appointed as the Commissioner of Police in Niger State in 2012. She served in the state till her retirement in September 2014.



6. DAVID LYON PEREWORIMINI

Lyon Perewonrimini is the CEO of Darlon Security and Guard, a private security firm in Bayelsa State. He was born into the Olodiana clan of Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of the state.

Mr Pereworimini contested under the platform of PDP as an aspirant to represent the Southern Ijaw Constituency IV in 2011. He defected from the party in 2015 to join the ruling APC.

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Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri

Engr. Preye Aganaba

Professor Ongoebi Maureen

David Lyon