Bayelsa faces political tension after Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo’s death, as zoning, loyalty, and federal influence shape the deputy governor succession.
The sudden death of Bayelsa State Deputy Governor Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo on Thursday, December 11, 2025, has set off a fierce political contest over succession in the state.
Also read: Bayelsa Deputy Governor Vacancy Spurs Political Contest
The 60-year-old politician, known for his loyalty to the Peoples Democratic Party and defiance in the face of Governor Douye Diri’s defection to the All Progressives Congress, collapsed in his office in Yenagoa and was later pronounced dead at the Federal Medical Centre.
Ewhrudjakpo had recently posted photographs of a meeting with UNICEF Country Representative in Nigeria, Wafaa Saeed, moments before his death, with no outward indication of imminent health concerns.
Tributes poured in from across Nigeria, with former President Goodluck Jonathan praising him as “a devoted steward of Bayelsa, a patriot, and a loyal servant of our state and nation.”
Behind the mourning, political manoeuvring quickly resumed. Zoning considerations are central to the debate, with many stakeholders insisting the deputy governorship should remain in Sagbama Local Government Area, Ewhrudjakpo’s home base.
Former Governor and current Senator Seriake Dickson is widely believed to influence the succession quietly, reportedly favouring his former deputy chief of staff, Hon. Ebizi Rosemary Brown Ndiomu, representing Sagbama III.
Other influential figures are also in play. Minister of State for Petroleum Heineken Lokpobiri remains a seasoned strategist, while Governor Diri himself is at the centre of the storm, weighing loyalty, political optics, and federal influence.
Potential successors under consideration include Diri’s Chief of Staff, Pastor Peter Akpe, and Prince Ebitimi Amgbare, leveraging federal goodwill and ties to President Bola Tinubu.
Loyalty, zoning, and strategic alliances have shaped early debates. Some argue Sagbama must retain the office to preserve equity, while others emphasise political pragmatism and the integration of APC allies into the state’s evolving power structure.
Even Christopher Ewhrudjakpo, the late deputy governor’s elder sibling and an aide to Diri, is considered a potential contender in the continuity narrative.
Party stalwarts continue to weigh in. PDP member Christopher Abarowe stresses balancing APC-PDP alliances, while APC chieftain John Asawana insists that integrity and credibility should guide the governor’s choice.
Also read: Kenneth Okonkwo Demands Bayelsa Governor’s Seat be Vacated
Until Governor Diri signs off, the deputy governorship remains a contested prize. In Bayelsa, mourning and manoeuvring unfold simultaneously, revealing a complex interplay of loyalty, strategy, and ambition in the state’s political theatre.
