Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, has accepted the resignation of the Chairman of the State Independent Electoral Commission (BYSIEC) Dr. Perekeme Bertola ahead of the August 10, 2019 local government election in the state.
Bertola yesterday resigned his appointment citing threat to his life and family by opposition political parties and thanked Dickson for the opportunity to serve the state.
The governor in a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, also commended Bertola for his services to the commission and for setting in motion the conduct of the election.
He said regardless of the development, the council election would still go on, as the other members of the commission were in quorum to carry on with the business of conducting a hitch-free council poll.
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The statement noted that the most senior member of the commission would take charge in acting capacity, pending the appointment of a substantive chairman.
The statement expressed shock that members of the opposition would harass, intimidate and threaten Bertola and his family all in their desire for him to do their bidding during the council election.
While wishing Bertola success in his future endeavours, the statement called on Bayelsans to be aware of the subterranean moves by members of the opposition to scuttle the planned council election using different crude means but said they would fail in their mission.
Following the development, the Bayelsa State House of Assembly led by Speaker Koombowei Benson summoned an emergency sitting of its members.
It was gathered that the lawmakers approved the nomination of Ball Oyerede as the new Chairman of BYSIEC and Emmanuel Charles as a member of the commission.
But the Bayelsa State Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Moses Cleopas, called on the state government to ensure the conduct of the local government elections despite threats by the opposition in the state.
The PDP chairman called on the police and other security agencies to ensure immediate investigation of the threats to the lives of the SIEC boss and his family members by the opposition with a view to bringing the culprits to book.
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