The camp of the governorship candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State, Chief Timipre Sylva, has been plunged into confusion over cancellation of 24,000 votes.
This was due to the cancellation of the over 24,000 controversial votes purportedly recorded in Ward 11,12 and 13 of Mini, Ikensi and Oluasiri in Nembe Local Government area of the State by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
By the cancellation of the princely votes by the electoral body, Sylva’s hope of upstaging the incumbent governor and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Diuyd Diri, dimmed irredeemably.
The cancellation which followed the protest by stakeholders particularly members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over the hijack of election materials by APC thugs in Nembe-Bassambiri and refusal to allow voters including supporters of the PDP to cast a single vote, was said to have thrown Sylva’s camp into confusion.
The PDP also alleged that most of the votes purportedly recorded by the APC in the area were cooked up and were voodoo votes that should be cancelled.
The votes from Mini, Ikensi and Oluasiri communities were thereby cancelled after the INEC officials reviewed the PDP arguments.
Confirming the development, the PDP agent for the Ward, Douglas Etulankimor Sampson said it was regrettable for APC to deny almost 30,000 voters in the ward opportunity to cast their votes.