By Ebiere Kekeboro
Bayelsa State Deputy Governor, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, has died at the age of 60 after suffering a cardiac arrest, sources confirmed yesterday.
Eyewitness accounts indicate that Ewhrudjakpo collapsed in his office at the Government House in Yenagoa on Wednesday afternoon and was immediately rushed to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Yenagoa. A cardiologist at the facility reportedly declared him dead on arrival.
Read Also:Why I Joined APC: Senator Agadaga Cites Stability, Development, Peace for Bayelsa
An Ijaw leader, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: “He suffered a cardiac arrest in his office and was conveyed to FMC. Unfortunately, he was pronounced dead on arrival.”
The late deputy governor’s remains were subsequently transported to a mortuary in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Ewhrudjakpo’s death has sent shockwaves across Bayelsa State’s political landscape. A close ally of former Governor Seriake Dickson, he was widely regarded as a formidable politician in the state. He began his public service career as Dickson’s Commissioner for Works, a role he held for eight years, earning acclaim for his engineering and construction expertise despite being a trained lawyer.
Against initial opposition, Dickson appointed Ewhrudjakpo as his deputy governor, representing Sagbama Local Government Area. He remained loyal to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), declining to join Governor Douye Diri when he defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC). His death comes amid speculation that he might have been considering a move to another political party.
Ewhrudjakpo was born on September 5, 1965, and leaves behind a legacy of service that continues to resonate across Bayelsa State and beyond.