Senator Douye Diri (born 4 June 1959) is a successful businessman. He is a Nigerian politician who is currently serving as the Governor of Bayelsa State.
Douye Diri is a businessman, politician and lawmaker currently serving as Governor of Bayelsa State.
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- Name: Douye Diri
- Date of birth: June 4, 1959
- Place of birth: Bayelsa
- Occupation: Governor of Bayelsa State
- Wife: Gloria Ebibomo Diri and Mrs. Barr Ama Zuofa Douye
- Net worth: $9 million
Early life
On 4 June 1959, he was born to AJM Diri Kalama-Owinari in Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
Diri attended Okoro Basic Sampou Primary School before transferring to Rev. Proctor Memorial Kaima Primary School and graduating with honors in 1977.
After graduating from Modi Government Senior Secondary School, he obtained his West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASCE) certificate.
Diri received his Nigerian Certificate of Education (NCE) in 1985 after graduating from the College of Education in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
He then obtained a Bachelor of Education degree majoring in Political Science from the University of Port-Harcourt in Rivers State in 1990.
Career
Senator Douye worked as a teacher in various public schools in rural Rivers State before entering politics.
He held the office of Ijaw National Congress (INC), the largest organization of the Ijaw Nation, and was the first National Organizing Secretary.
He was appointed executive secretary of the Youth Development Centre during the tenure of Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, the first executive governor of Bayelsa state.
During Goodluck Jonathan’s presidency, he was appointed as the Bayelsa State Commissioner for Youth and Sports.
Diri was a member of the board of governors of the University of Maiduguri from 2000 to 2012.
In 2012, he also served as the head of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Disciplinary Council in Bayelsa State.
In August 2012, he was appointed Deputy Chief of Staff at Government House, and a year later he was promoted to Executive Secretary, a position he held until 2014 when he resigned to contest the House of Representatives seat for the Kolokuma, Opokuma and Yenagoa federal constituency.
He was elected in 2015. Among his legislative priorities are environmental and communications issues.
In the 9th National Assembly of Nigeria, he represented the Bayelsa Central constituency of Bayelsa State.
He won the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial primary election in Bayelsa State on September 4, 2019, held by the PDP Bayelsa State gubernatorial primary committee headed by Governor Darius Ishaku at the Dr Gabriel Okara Cultural Centre in Yenagoa.
He was the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the governorship of Bayelsa in 2019.
The 2019 Bayelsa State gubernatorial election was declared invalid by the Nigerian Supreme Court because David Lyon, the running mate of the real winner, presented a forged certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission on February 13, 2020. The court issued Diri an election certificate naming him as the new governor.
On 14 February 2020, he was sworn in as governor of Bayelsa state.
Personal life
Personal life has been married to two women and is a devout Christian. Gloria Ebibomo Diri is the state’s first lady, and Barr is his second wife. Mrs. Ama Zuofa Douye.
Net worth
Douye Diri began his political career in 2019 after being elected as a senator; his net worth is said to be over $9 million.
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