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The Bayelsa State House of Assembly has confirmed the appointment of Peter Akpe as the new Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State.
Akpe, who previously served as Chief of Staff at Government House, Yenagoa, was nominated by Governor Douye Diri following the vacancy created by the death of the former deputy governor, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo.
A seasoned administrator and politician, Akpe is a former two-term member of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly. He rose through the ranks of the civil service to become a Director before transitioning into key political roles, including Deputy Chief of Staff and later Acting Chief of Staff. He holds a PhD and is also a Christian minister, often addressed as Hon. (Dr) or Pastor Peter Akpe.
His confirmation comes in the wake of Ewhrudjakpo’s death in December 2025. In a statement announcing the passing, the state’s Commissioner for Information, Orientation and Strategy, Ebiuwou Koku-Obiyai, expressed “deep regret and profound shock.”
According to the statement, the late deputy governor had been active earlier in the day and was carrying out official duties before collapsing on his way to a scheduled meeting in his office. He was rushed to the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa, where he was later pronounced dead.
Governor Diri declared three days of mourning in the state, ordering flags to be flown at half-mast. He described Ewhrudjakpo’s death as “a great loss to the Government and people of Bayelsa State and the nation,” and directed that an autopsy be conducted to determine the cause of death.
The governor also extended condolences to the deceased’s wife, Beatrice, his children, the Ewhrudjakpo family, the Ofoni Federated Community, former governor Henry Seriake Dickson, and the people of Bayelsa State, praying for strength and comfort for all affected by the loss.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) paid tribute to Ewhrudjakpo, describing him as “a principled and consistent politician… a person of conviction, not convenience; a leader whose life was anchored on belief, integrity and strength of character.”
Ewhrudjakpo served as deputy governor from 2020 until his death, having been elected alongside Governor Diri in 2019 and re-elected in 2023.
With Akpe’s confirmation, the state moves to fill a critical leadership gap, ushering in a new chapter in Bayelsa’s governance following a period of mourning and transition.
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