Yenagoa, Bayelsa State – Bayelsa State was thrown into deep sorrow on Thursday, December 11, 2025, following the sudden death of its Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Oborawharievwo Ewhrudjakpo. The 60-year-old politician collapsed in his office at Government House, Yenagoa, around 1:30 p.m. and was rushed to the Federal Medical Centre in the state capital, where he was pronounced dead despite emergency medical efforts.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the party he served loyally throughout his political career, described his passing as an “inexplicable loss” and “indescribable pain” that has left the entire organisation in profound grief.
In a heartfelt statement issued from Abuja late Thursday, PDP National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, called Ewhrudjakpo “a trusted, faithful party man” whose death had shocked the National Working Committee under the leadership of Ambassador Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, SAN, and the entire PDP family in Bayelsa State.
“While alive, Senator Ewhrudjakpo was an honest and consistent politician who believed in and practised politics with principle,” the statement read. “He was a person of conviction, not convenience; a leader whose life was anchored on belief, integrity, and strength of character. He held firmly to these virtues until his final moments. We are deeply saddened by the passing of this hero of political integrity, and we pray that God grants his soul eternal rest.”
The party extended its heartfelt condolences to the government and people of Bayelsa State over what it termed a “painful and irreparable loss.”
As of Thursday night, the Bayelsa State Government had not released an official statement on the incident. Governor Douye Diri, who defected from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in November 2024, was said to be out of the country. Eyewitnesses at Government House recounted how aides and security personnel frantically administered first aid after the deputy governor slumped before an ambulance sped him to the hospital. The medical centre was quickly secured by security operatives as senior officials, politicians and sympathisers rushed to the scene.
Born on September 5, 1965, in Ofoni, Sagbama Local Government Area, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo rose from humble beginnings to become one of Bayelsa’s most respected public servants. A trained health technologist, public administrator, lawyer and holder of a PhD in Human Rights Law, he combined intellectual depth with grassroots appeal. Married to Mrs Beatrice Ewhrudjakpo, he was widely admired for his humility, eloquence and unwavering loyalty to the PDP.
His political journey gained prominence in 2012 when then-Governor Henry Seriake Dickson appointed him Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure. Over seven years, he spearheaded major road networks, the Bayelsa International Conference Centre and the state’s airport runway extension — projects that connected remote riverine communities and withstood the economic recession.
In 2019, Ewhrudjakpo won the Bayelsa West senatorial election on the PDP platform, serving briefly in the 9th Senate before the Supreme Court judgement that installed Douye Diri as governor in February 2020. Diri immediately picked him as running mate, and the pair winning re-election in 2023. As deputy governor, he focused on peace-building, mediating numerous communal conflicts, championing youth empowerment and promoting women’s inclusion in governance.
Even after Governor Diri’s defection to the APC in 2024, Ewhrudjakpo remained steadfast in the PDP, resisting pressure and even impeachment threats from the APC-controlled State House of Assembly. His principled stand earned him admiration across party lines and cemented his reputation as a man of conviction.
Tributes poured in from far and wide. The South-South Governors’ Forum described him as “a rare gem whose life of service left indelible marks on Bayelsa and the Niger Delta.” Former colleagues, youth groups and traditional rulers praised his accessibility, integrity and dedication to the Ijaw cause. Candlelight processions were held in Yenagoa and Sagbama Thursday night, with mourners chanting “Conviction over Convenience” — a direct echo of the PDP’s tribute.
Under Section 191 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the governor is required to notify the State House of Assembly of the vacancy. The Assembly may then direct the governor to nominate a new deputy governor within a stipulated period, subject to confirmation by the lawmakers. Given the APC’s majority in the House, political watchers expect intense negotiations in the weeks ahead.
For now, Bayelsa State remains in shock. From the creeks of Sagbama to the corridors of power in Yenagoa, the sudden departure of Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo — a man many described as the conscience of Bayelsa politics — has left a void that will be difficult to fill. As one elder in Ofoni put it during an impromptu gathering Thursday evening: “The river has taken one of its finest sons, but his legacy of integrity will continue to flow.”
