The All Progressives Congress has cancelled the Bayelsa State governorship primary election held on Tuesday.
The National Chairman of the party, John Oyegun, who disclosed this to journalists on Wednesday, said a new date for the election would be announced soon.
The election held in Samson Siasia Stadium in Yenagoa, the state capital, was purportedly won by a former governor of the state, Timipre Sylva, in a controversial manner.
Mr. Sylva polled 726 votes to emerge victorious. His closest rival, Timi Alaibe, a former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, got four votes.
Mr. Alaibe and some of the 19 aspirants reportedly walked out of the election venue in protest before the exercise was held.
A total of 1,502 delegates were expected to participate in the primary election.
Mr. Oyegun explained that the election had to be rescheduled because of security challenges.
“The primary has been rescheduled. It had to be called off due to security challenges,” he said.
The Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Timi Frank, also dismissed Tuesday’s primary election, alleging that Mr. Sylva held a member of the Election Committee under hostage to declare him winner.
Mr. Frank dissociated the Committee Chairman, Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State and its secretary, from the “kangaroo primary’ as they were not present when Sylva was declared.”
“I am speaking as a concerned citizen of Bayelsa that this primary is not acceptable anywhere.
“In a situation where all other aspirants walked out of the venue and a particular aspirant put a member of the primary election committee under duress to declare him winner, while the chairman and secretary of the committee were not present.
“I believe the party will soon come up with a position on that fraud called primary election and schedule a date when an acceptable primary election will hold.”
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