FORMER Sinn Fein MP Michelle Gildernew is the sole candidate in tonight's selection convention in South Tyrone, impartialreporter.com understands.

Therefore Ms. Gildernew will be chosen by her party colleagues to run for the Assembly just weeks after she was deselected following a dramatic contest in Enniskillen.

She will join colleagues Sean Lynch, John Feely and Phil Flanagan who was selected last month after being deselected back in December in contesting the election in May.

Ms. Gildernew, a one-time agriculture minister, is expected to be formally announced as the party's fourth candidate for Fermanagh-south Tyrone later tonight.

Last month a former Sinn Fein Council Chairman Stephen Huggett, who served on Fermanagh District Council, said “there were irregularities” during the first internal Sinn Fein vote in December and revealed that “strange things had been going on.”

After Sinn Fein decided to rerun the selection process last month, Mr. Flanagan was also reselected but Ms. Gildernew was dropped after failing to secure enough votes from party members.

Mr. Huggett was asked why Sinn Fein decided to hold a second selection convention.

“I know perfectly well; because there were irregularities [during the first convention]... something about the votes not tallying.”

Asked to respond to speculation on social media that the first vote which ended up in Mr. Flanagan, seen as a controversial party member, being deselected was rigged, Mr. Huggett said: “I wouldn't be a bit surprised. I think it was fairly well put at the election convention that that was the opinion certainly of a large minority... that strange things had been going on.”

When Mr. Feely was asked if the first convention was 'rigged' as suggested by some on social media, he said last month: “That's not right. Some people on social media? Anyone within the party say that? If you go on Twitter you can find a lot of stuff. Absolutely not.

"That it was rigged? No, not at all. If you go on Twitter and Facebook and stuff you'll find there was no moon landing and stuff. Anyone can go on Twitter and say anything they want,” he said.