Southern Ijaw: Bayelsa REC Goes Underground, Under Pressure to Resign

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News From The State Wednesday, December 9th, 2015

About 48 hours after the cancellation of the rescheduled governorship election in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, the whereabouts of the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Baritor Kpagih, still remains unknown.

“Kpagih has fled Yenagoa to unknown destination for fear of his life. The Office of the Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), David Babachir Lawal, is also allegedly mounting pressure on the DSS to arrest the REC for a yet to be declared reason”, one of his friends stated.

According to him, some other friends, family members of the REC and members of Deeper Life Bible Church where he fellowships have urged him to consider resigning from his exalted position if that would save him from the jaws of the APC leadership.

Sources also said said that the REC had decided to go underground following threats to his life by some persons who are not comfortable with the cancellation.

The decision of the REC to go into hiding came less than than 24 hours after the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Bayelsa State election, Chief Timipre Sylva demanded for the sack of Kpagih, by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

It was learnt that strangely he has been receiving text message and calls from hidden numbers urging him to “reverse the cancellation of the election” in Southern Ijaw LGA or risk his life.

But Kpagih remained unmoved insisting that the action of INEC was within the ambience of the laws of the land and in fulfilment of the commission’s mandate to conduct a credible election.

He said if the process had been allowed to go on, it would have rubbished all the gains recorded by the commission in recent times.