Ogona Anita
Tongues are now wagging in Bayelsa over the sudden death of the deputy governor, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, early yesterday evening, with visitors and tributes pouring into his official residence in Government House at Creek Haven, Yenagoa.
Across the state capital, groups and individuals received the news with shock and disbelief, wondering whether Ewhrudjakpo’s death was natural or the result of remote control.
Many strongly believe that the deputy governor died from an unnatural cause rather than the reported heart attack, which never affected him throughout his eight years as commissioner and more than six years as Bayelsa’s number two citizen.
Since the afternoon, conflicting accounts have circulated regarding his condition, following reports that he collapsed in his office at about 1.30 pm.
According to sources, Ewhrudjakpo, a lawyer, had just returned from a public function and was preparing for a communal reconciliatory meeting in Government House when he slumped.
Security officials attached to his office, along with his aides, rushed him to the Federal Medical Centre in Yenagoa, where doctors battled for hours to stabilise him.
After the prolonged struggle to revive him, the FMC management reportedly assembled a team of cardiac specialists to transfer him to a hospital in Port Harcourt.
There are conflicting claims about where he passed away. One report says he died in the ambulance en route to Port Harcourt, while another insists that he died at the FMC in Yenagoa.
His death has raised eyebrows as many Bayelsans suspect foul play, possibly linked to his refusal to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress with his principal, Governor Douye Diri.
Sources say the hard working deputy governor faced several attacks from some politicians who viewed his stance as a betrayal, with the twenty four member state legislature even moving to impeach him.
Sensing the threat was real, Ewhrudjakpo approached the Federal High Court in Abuja to seek an injunction restraining the legislature from removing him. He also prayed the court to bar the state Attorney General, the Commissioner for Justice, and the Commissioner of Police from taking any action that could undermine his duties as deputy governor.
The case was later stalled after Governor Diri intervened, assuring his deputy that no one could impeach him simply for refusing to defect.
That assurance from the Sampou born governor, together with appeals from others calling for restraint, eased rising tensions that were almost tearing the only homogeneous Ijaw state apart.
Dozens of Bayelsans have been visiting the deputy governor’s residence in Government House to condole with the family over what many describe as a painful and tragic loss.
It was gathered that many of the newly defected politicians have been uneasy since Ewhrudjakpo rejected several overtures to join them, as he was seen as a crowd puller and a formidable political figure.
Ewhrudjakpo was widely regarded as Governor Diri’s confidant and backbone, even more so than Senator Henry Seriake Dickson, who is said to be devastated by his death at just sixty years old.
The state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, which confirmed his passing, described it as a huge and painful loss to the party, his community, and Bayelsa State.
Governor Douye Diri, who travelled to the United Kingdom over the weekend, is expected to cut short his trip and return to the state. He was originally scheduled to return on December 20.
Updated story
Tension gripped Yenagoa, the Bayelsa capital, on Thursday after the Deputy Governor, Mr. Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, reportedly collapsed and was rushed to the Federal Medical Centre, FMC, Yenagoa.
The incident occurred on Thursday afternoon while the deputy governor was in his office, prompting an emergency response.
A hospital official who preferred not to be named confirmed that the deputy governor was brought into the facility in critical condition.
Ewhrudjakpo is currently stabilised in the Intensive Care Unit of the FMC. No official statement has been released regarding the cause of the health scare, but sources suggest it may be cardiac related.
A source close to the deputy governor, speaking on condition of anonymity, hinted that exhaustion could be a factor, saying, “He is a workaholic. He should find time to rest.”
Security operatives have cordoned off the hospital, and top government officials have been trooping in to express concern.
The deputy governor’s media aide, Mr. Doubara Atasi, confirmed that his principal slumped and was taken to hospital for urgent medical attention.
