The Bayelsa State House of Assembly has confirmed the appointment of Peter Akpe as Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, barely two months after the seat became vacant following the death of his predecessor, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo.
Akpe, who until his confirmation served as Chief of Staff at Government House, Yenagoa, was nominated by Governor Douye Diri to fill the vacancy created by Ewhrudjakpo’s demise.
A seasoned public administrator and politician, Akpe, who was confirmed by the lawmakers on Tuesday, was a former two-term member of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly.
He rose through the civil service to the rank of Director before moving into senior political roles, including Deputy Chief of Staff and Acting Chief of Staff.
He holds a PhD and is also known as a Christian minister in the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG).
In a statement issued by the state government, the Commissioner for Information, Orientation and Strategy, Ebiuwou Koku-Obiyai, announced the passing with “deep regret and profound shock”.
“The Deputy Governor was active and carrying out official duties earlier in the day. He collapsed while proceeding to a scheduled meeting within his office and was rushed to the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa, where he was later confirmed dead,” the statement read.
Diri subsequently declared three days of mourning, directing that flags be flown at half-mast and describing the loss as “a great loss to the Government and people of Bayelsa State and the nation”.
He also directed that an autopsy be carried out to reveal the cause of the death of the state’s deputy governor.
Diri extended condolences to the late deputy governor’s wife, Beatrice, his children, the Ewhrudjakpo family, the Ofoni Federated Community, former governor Henry Seriake Dickson, and the people of the state, praying for comfort and strength for them.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) also described Ewhrudjakpo as “a principled and consistent politician… a person of conviction, not convenience; a leader whose life was anchored on belief, integrity and strength of character”.
Ewhrudjakpo served as deputy governor from 2020 until his death, having been elected alongside Diri in 2019 and re-elected in 2023.
