The All Progressives Congress, Bayelsa State chapter, has insisted that the primary elections of the party has not been cancelled.
Former governor of the state, Timipre Sylva, was declared winner of the election, which was marred by violence and irregularities.
More than 15 aspirants reportedly fled for safety during the voting process while the election committee headed by the Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, was held hostage at the venue.
After the polls, Oshiomhole claimed that Sylva’s thugs held him hostage in a bid to force him to conduct the primary.
Subsequently, the national leadership of the APC was reported to have cancelled the election and rescheduled it.
Sylva would however, insist that he won the election fair and square.
To buttress Sylva’s claim, chairman of the APC in Bayelsa, Tiwei Orunimighe, has released a statement, saying that the cancellation of the primary election is a mere rumour.
The statement read:
“As a chairman of Bayelsa APC, I am not aware of any cancellation of the primary. With all due respect to the National Chairman of our party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, he said nobody should make an announcement except they cleared with him.
“I want to believe that people who made statements from the national secretariat did not have clearance with him. As a state chairman, I am aware that the rumour of cancellation came even when we were on the election ground.
“It was all over the social media. I think it was made by one of their publicists. After that Odigie-Oyegun directed that nobody should make any statement without obtaining clearance from him.
“The national chairman is a man who knows his onions. Having set up an election panel, he knows the next thing is to wait for the outcome or report of the committee set up to administer the primary. Maybe they will set up an appeal committee. We are expecting that by Monday or Tuesday (today). So, I believe the cancellation rumour does not stand.
For now, election has been held and I think that is how it stands. Chief Timipre Sylva won the primary conducted last Tuesday.
“I do not know who accused us. We are not biased. As a chairman, I believe that I have managed the party to the best of my ability. When it came to the period of voting, I was also a delegate.”
