The Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, slumped on Thursday afternoon while he was working in his office and was immediately rushed to a hospital in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital.
The Deputy Governor was said to have been in a meeting on Thursday which had in attendance some community leaders and stakeholders involved in pipeline surveillance. The meeting was said to be heated and Ewhrudjakpo was said to have left the conference room of his office, where the meeting was held, and was climbing the staircase when he slumped at about 1.30pm.
His aides and top government functionaries who were with him when the incident occurred were said to have rushed him to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Yenagoa, where doctors confirmed that he had passed.
He was initially taken to the emergency unit of the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa, before being transferred to the Intensive Care Unit for closer monitoring before he gave up the ghost.
The deputy governor collapsed in serious condition before being transported to the hospital’s emergency unit, where he died.
Chaos erupted at the Government House as aides and staff scrambled in disbelief during the evacuation. Security forces swiftly secured the FMC, where Governor Douye Diri’s team gathered in solidarity.
Word of the tragedy spread rapidly through Yenagoa and social media, eliciting waves of shock, tributes, and prayers.
Details surrounding the circumstances of his death are still emerging, and the Bayelsa State Government is expected to release an official statement soon.
Born on September 5, 1965, Senator Ewhrudjakpo was 60 years old at the time of his death.
Sources claim he had overtime maintained a demanding work schedule and had described him as a “workaholic” who rarely found time to rest.
As of the time of filing this report, the Bayelsa State Government had yet to issue an official statement, leaving residents and members of the public anxiously awaiting for an official pronouncement.
Senator Ewhrudjakpo had served as Deputy Governor since February 2020 and previously represented Bayelsa West in the Nigerian Senate.
Born September 5, 1965, in Sagbama Local Government Area, Ewhrudjakpo was a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) mainstay. Holding a PhD in Human Rights Law and admitted to the Nigerian Bar in 2009, his career spanned roles as Works Commissioner, Senator for Bayelsa West in the 9th National Assembly, and Deputy Governor since February 2020.
Under Governor Diri, he drove initiatives in infrastructure, policy stability, and human rights, earning acclaim for his erudition and integrity.
No formal statement has emerged from the state government or family yet, but condolences flood in from political allies and foes alike.
