The Bayelsa State Government on Friday confirmed the passing of Deputy Governor Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, announcing a three-day period of state mourning in his honour.
In a statement released and signed by the Commissioner for Information, Orientation and Strategy, Ebiuwou Koku-Obiyai, the government described the development as one that came with “deep regret and profound shock.”
According to the statement, the deputy governor had been active earlier in the day and engaged in official assignments before collapsing while heading to a scheduled meeting within his office.
He was taken to the Federal Medical Centre in Yenagoa, where he was later pronounced dead.
“The Bayelsa State Government announces with deep regret and profound shock the sudden passing of the Deputy Governor, His Excellency, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, Ph.D, on Thursday, 11th December 2025, at the age of 60,” the statement read.
It added that he became unresponsive while on his way to an internal engagement and could not be revived despite emergency efforts.
Following the confirmation of his death, Governor Douye Diri ordered a three-day state mourning beginning Friday, instructing that all flags across the state be lowered.
“Douye Diri, Governor of Bayelsa State, has declared a State Mourning for 3 working days in honour of the late Deputy Governor beginning from today, Friday, December 12, 2025. All flags are to fly at half-mast. His demise is not just painful; it is a great loss to the Government and people of Bayelsa State and the nation,” the statement added.
Governor Diri also expressed condolences to the deputy governor’s wife, Beatrice, their children, the wider Ewhrudjakpo family, the Ofoni Federated Community, former Governor Henry Seriake Dickson, and residents of the state. He prayed for divine comfort and strength “for the family and the entire State.”
The sad development had earlier been acknowledged by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday night after widespread concern over reports that Ewhrudjakpo collapsed in his office.
In a statement signed by National Publicity Secretary Ini Ememobong, the Kabiru Turaki-led National Working Committee called the news “shocking.”
“This devastating news has left the National Working Committee and indeed the entire membership of our great party, especially our faithful members in Bayelsa State, in profound grief,” the party stated.
The PDP described the late deputy governor as “a principled and consistent politician,” noting that “He was a person of conviction, not convenience; a leader whose life was anchored on belief, integrity and strength of character.” The party extended its sympathies to the government and people of Bayelsa State and prayed for his peaceful repose.
Before his death, Ewhrudjakpo served as deputy governor under Douye Diri from 2020 and had been re-elected alongside the governor in 2023 after first contesting together in the 2019 election cycle. His passing comes at a politically sensitive time for the state.
In recent weeks, he approached the Federal High Court in Abuja to prevent the Bayelsa State House of Assembly from pursuing impeachment proceedings against him over his decision to remain in the PDP after Governor Diri defected to the APC in October. Governor Diri had repeatedly maintained that he would not pressure his deputy to switch parties.
Born on September 5, 1965, Ewhrudjakpo was a lawyer and respected public official. He served as Senator representing Bayelsa West between 2019 and 2020 and previously held the position of Bayelsa State Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, where he supervised significant development projects, including the Bayelsa International Airport.
His academic background was equally extensive, holding qualifications ranging from a Diploma in Community Health and a B.Sc. in Secretarial Administration to an MBA, an LL.B., and a PhD in Human Rights and Labour Law.
What You Should Know
Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo’s death marks a major moment in Bayelsa’s political landscape, occurring at a time of internal shifts and heightened tension.
His decades-long career in public service, from the state cabinet to the Senate and eventually the deputy governorship, earned him recognition as a steadfast figure in Bayelsa politics.
The state’s three-day mourning period reflects the deep impact of his loss on both the government and the people he served, as tributes pour in from political allies and institutions that regarded him as a symbol of integrity and conviction.
