At least three persons were killed in a shootout between supporters of the People Democratic Party, PDP and that of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Nembe, Bayelsa State.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, fixed November 16 for the gubernatorial election in the state.
A rally by the PDP in the area was disrupted by gunshots from alleged APC supporters who shot sporadically at PDP supporters.
Theportcitynews gathered that among the deceased in the crossfire was the driver of the Bayelsa Radio Outside Broadcasting Van, Simon Onu, and two others whose identity were not revealed.
It was gathered that Onu was hit by a stray bullet while many others sustained several degrees of injuries.
Nembe is the local government area of the minister of state for petroleum, Timipriye Sylva.
Sylva who was a one-term governor of the state is also the leader of the All Progressives Congress in the state.
The Chief Press Secretary to Governor Seriake Dickson, Fidelis Soriwei, who confirmed the death of Onu, blamed APC thugs for the incident.
However, Wilfred Ogbotobo, the Director-General of Timire Sylva Support Organisation said PDP members were the aggressors in the incident, adding that the party leaders invaded the community with thugs to chase away members of the APC.
Ogbotobo said some APC members were injured in the attack, wondering the reason for the campaign in Nembe when the party rounded off their rallies with a grand finale held in Yenagoa.
The spokesperson of the Nembe Chiefs Council, Chief Nengi James, said there was a clash between rival supporters of the PDP and APC in Nembe, resulting in injuries.
He said: “I can confirm that supporters of the PDP and APC clashed in Nembe with some persons sustaining various degrees of injuries, but no death has been recorded.”
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Henry Seriake Dickson, the governor of the state who visited some of the survivors at the Bayelsa Medical Centre, the Bayelsa Specialist Hospital and the Federal Medical Centre all in Yenagoa described the incident as barbaric.
Dickson was accompanied by the gubernatorial candidate of the PDP, Douye Diri and the Zonal Chairman of the party, Emmanuel Ogidi
The Bayelsa State Police Command was yet to make any official statement as at the time of filing this report.
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