SIX persons are believed to have been shot dead in a free-for-all gunfight in the Peremabiri community of Bayelsa State as supporters of Governor Seriake Dickson were celebrating his victory in the weekend's gubernatorial elections. 

Over the weekend, Bayelsans went to the polls in a supplementary election after the initial governorship elections on December 5 were declared inconclusive. Polls in the Southern Ijaw Local Government Area had been declared invalid last year after discrepancies and re-runs were also held in some wards of other local government areas. 

Yesterday, the Independent National electoral Commission (Inec) declared Governor Dickson of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) the winner with a total of 134,998 votes compared with 86,852 votes for his nearest rival Chief Timipre Sylva of the All Progressives Congress (APC). However, six persons were reportedly shot dead in a post-election gun battle between supporters of the APC the PDP in Peremabiri community within Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of the state. 

Bayelsa State Police Command spokesman Asimin Butswat, confirmed that the police had received the report of violence in the area but he could not confirm the number of casualties. Among the casualties of the shoot-out was the paramount ruler of the community, Chief Progress Never Die. 

Alfred Olotu, a cousin to ‎the paramount ruler, alleged that a foremost militant leader from the community led armed men in the bloody battle. Before the polls, the Bayelsa State police commissioner Peter Ogunyanwo, appealed to supporters of the various political parties to celebrate their victories in utmost modesty but this appeared to go unheeded