BYSIEC Chairman resigns 70 days to Bayelsa LG polls

Barely 70 days to the rescheduled Local Government elections in Bayelsa State, the Chairman of the State Independent Electoral Commission (BYSIEC), Dr Bertola Perekeme, has resigned his position.

According to his media aide, Mr Tonye Yemoleigha, Dr Perekeme in a letter addressed to the Bayelsa State governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson, cited “threats to his life and immediate family” as the reason for throwing in the towel.

Tribune Online learnt that his resignation is coming barely a week after the elections initially scheduled for July 27th was postponed to August 10th 2019.

A source in the commission hinted that the chairman’s resignation may be connected to the fact that “Dr Perekeme bowed to pressure from opposition parties to have the elections shifted by two weeks.”

According to our source, the shift in the date for the polls allegedly angered some power brokers in the State, who in turn wanted him out of office by any means possible.

However, the chairman in his resignation letter dated May 31, 2019, thanked the Governor for giving him the opportunity to serve, while expressing hope that his resignation would not affect the conduct of the polls slated for August 10, 2019.