List of governors of Bayelsa State

Bayelsa State, located in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria, has been led by colonial, military, and civilian administrations. Before Nigeria's independence in 1960, the territory that now constitutes Bayelsa was part of the Eastern Region, one of Nigeria's original administrative divisions. During the colonial era, British officials governed the Eastern Region, which included the area now known as Bayelsa State, until Nigeria's independence in 1960. Thereafter, Nigerian officials, including Francis Akanu Ibiam as governor and Michael Okpara as premier, administered the region until the first military coup in 1966 which led to the abolition of the regional system. In 1967, Nigeria's military leader Yakubu Gowon split the Eastern Region into three new states: East-Central State, South-Eastern State, and Rivers State. Bayelsa remained part of Rivers State for nearly three decades, under both military and civilian rule. In 1996, the Nigerian military government under Sani Abacha created Bayelsa State, carving it out of Rivers State.

Upon its creation, Bayelsa was governed by a series of military administrators until Nigeria's return to civilian rule in 1999, when Diepreye Alamieyeseigha became the first democratically elected governor of Bayelsa. Since then, the state has been led by successive civilian governors, including Goodluck Jonathan, who later became president of Nigeria. Subsequent governors included Timipre Sylva, Henry Seriake Dickson, and the incumbent, Douye Diri.