YENAGOA, NIGERIA — In a deeply emotional and spiritually charged public address, the Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, has pulled back the curtain on the intense, high-stakes political and spiritual deliberations that preceded his selection of Dr. Peter Akpe as the state's new Deputy Governor. The appointment followed the sudden and tragic demise of the former occupant of the office, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, who passed away on December 11, 2025. Speaking during a special interdenominational thanksgiving service, Governor Diri revealed that the weight of the replacement process subjected his leadership to an unprecedented level of "spiritual pressure" before divine intervention ultimately guided his hand toward Akpe.
The special thanksgiving service, which was held on Sunday morning, June 21, 2026, took place at the regional headquarters of The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) along the busy Sani Abacha Expressway in Yenagoa, the state capital. The event served as a formal spiritual homecoming for the newly minted Deputy Governor, who, prior to his sudden elevation to the second-highest political office in the state, served as a dedicated pastor within the RCCG fold. Dr. Akpe was formally sworn into office on February 25, 2026, following weeks of intense speculation, political maneuvering, and quiet consultations across the oil-rich Niger Delta state.
Addressing the congregation, which included top-tier government officials, ecclesiastical leaders, and traditional rulers, Governor Diri emphasized that replacing an irreplaceable administrative pillar like the late Ewhrudjakpo required looking far beyond conventional political metrics. He noted that having worked in perfect synchronization with his late deputy for nearly six years, the vacancy demanded a successor who possessed a rare blend of humility, administrative competence, and unalloyed loyalty—qualities he described as a "perfect match."
> "I faced immense spiritual pressure picking a new deputy governor after the tragic passing of Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo," Governor Diri candidly confessed to the hushed congregation. "While this intense pressure was bearing down on me from various political interest groups, I deliberately looked away from human calculations and sought God’s supreme direction, relying heavily on the persistent intercessory prayers of dedicated men of God. At the end of the day, God made Pastor Akpe available through clear divine direction."
>
Explaining the criteria that ultimately solidified the appointment, Governor Diri dismissed widespread rumors suggesting that ethnic favoritism or nepotism had influenced his final choice. The governor clarified that his decision was based strictly on objective evaluations of Akpe’s proven competence, professional capacity, and stellar track record in public service, rather than any pre-existing familial ties.
> "I did not pay any attention to the persistent rumors and street speculations because I knew Dr. Akpe possessed the requisite intellectual and administrative competence to deliver excellently on the job," Diri explained. "In fact, I never even knew he was a relative of mine until quite recently when it was brought to my attention through genealogical records that he actually hailed from my own maternal ancestral home."
>
The state chief executive utilized the platform to reassure the citizens of Bayelsa that his administration remains fiercely focused, development-oriented, and single-mindedly committed to executing projects that directly benefit the populace. He characterized the prevailing peace, stability, and security across Bayelsa State as a "priceless asset" that must be fiercely protected through continuous public partnership. He concluded his remarks by admonishing the church and the broader citizenry to maintain a culture of prayer for those in authority, asserting that regardless of the perceived shortcomings of any administration, it remains a scriptural obligation to pray for national and regional leaders.
When it was his turn to speak, Deputy Governor Peter Akpe moved the congregation to tears by sharing an extraordinarily raw and personal testimony of his arduous journey from the depths of rural poverty to the upper echelons of public office. He noted that his life story mirrors the biblical patriarch Jacob’s transformative experience at the Jordan River in Genesis 32, where divine favor completely altered a destiny of struggle.
Dr. Akpe recounted the extreme socioeconomic hardships his family faced during his formative years, revealing that his father had to endure immense personal humiliation to ensure he received an education. He painted a vivid picture of the stark realities of rural life in the Niger Delta decades ago, detailing the length to which his family went to secure basic needs.
> "I know some of you here have heard snippets of my background, but the reality was incredibly harsh," the Deputy Governor shared emotionally. "The financial pressure on our household was so overwhelming, but my dad was absolutely determined to send me to school no matter the cost. Years ago, it would take us over five hours of traveling by foot and canoe just to go and beg distant relatives for a school fee of only N110 naira. Sometimes, after all that pleading, they would support you with maybe N20 or N30 naira."
>
The Deputy Governor further revealed the deep sacrifices made by his family to keep his educational dreams alive, stating that his father frequently resorted to high-interest loans from local moneylenders. In one particularly traumatizing incident, his father was dragged to the community center and publicly tied up by creditors over unpaid educational debts until a communal intervention secured his release.
He disclosed that the family lived in a dilapidated zinc structure situated directly on the swampy waterfront. At one point, some of his siblings voluntarily agreed to skip an entire academic year just to allow the family to pool scarce financial resources for his school fees. Akpe testified that the family's narrative underwent a radical transformation only after they embraced Christian faith, noting that his current elevation to the deputy governorship is the ultimate validation of God's absolute faithfulness.
The high-profile thanksgiving service drew an array of distinguished personalities from across the country. Among the dignitaries in attendance were the Wife of the Governor, Her Excellency Dr. Gloria Diri; the Senator representing Bayelsa Central, Konbowei Benson, and his wife; as well as prominent members of the Federal House of Representatives, including Fred Agbedi (Sagbama/Ekeremor Federal Constituency), Mitema Obordor (Ogbia), and Marie Ebikake (Nembe/Brass).
Also present to honor the new deputy governor were the Chief Judge of Bayelsa State, Justice Matilda Ayemieye; the Majority Leader of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Monday Bubou, alongside a large contingent of state legislators; members of the State Executive Council; the State Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. Fr. Joseph Opelema; and a vast gathering of traditional rulers who came to witness the historic spiritual dedication.
