Following the cancellation of the rescheduled governorship election in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Baritor Kpagih has gone missing.
“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 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 of the Southern Ijaw local Government election that has rendered the whole election inconclusive.
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 he has been receiving strange text messages 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.
Meanwhile, well meaning Ijaw people from Bayelsa are pleading that Kpagih, an Ogoni from Rivers State should not be put in harm’s way because of the long-standing relationship between Ogonis and Ijaw just because of politics and politicians