ABUJA / YENAGOA — The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has expressed profound grief and described the sudden death of Bayelsa State Deputy Governor Senator Lawrence Oborawharievwo Ewhrudjakpo as an “inexplicable loss” to the party, Bayelsa and Nigeria at large. The party’s national leadership issued a statement late Thursday following confirmation that the 60-year-old politician collapsed in his office at the Bayelsa Government House before being rushed to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Yenagoa, where he was later pronounced dead.
In the official communique, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, said the party received the news “with deep shock,” describing Ewhrudjakpo as a trusted and faithful party man whose principles, integrity and commitment to service endeared him to colleagues and constituents alike. The party said his passing has left the National Working Committee (NWC) — led by Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, SAN — and the wider PDP family, particularly members in Bayelsa State, in profound grief.
“While alive, Senator Ewhrudjakpo was an honest and consistent politician who believed in and practised politics with principle. He was a person of conviction, not convenience; a leader whose life was anchored on belief, integrity, and strength of character,” the PDP statement said, adding: “We are deeply saddened by the passing of this hero of political integrity, and we pray that God grants his soul eternal rest.”
Ewhrudjakpo’s death came as he was attending to official duties in his Government House office earlier in the day when he reportedly slumped suddenly, prompting immediate action by aides and security personnel. The circumstances surrounding his collapse remain under review, but the shock of his sudden passing has reverberated through political and public circles.
The PDP’s tribute underscored Ewhrudjakpo’s influence within the party and his reputation as a principled leader. It also invited Nigerians to join the party in mourning the loss of a senior statesman whose career spanned legislative and executive roles, including service in the Senate before becoming deputy governor.
As condolences continue to pour in from across the political spectrum, the party’s statement reiterated its solidarity with the government and people of Bayelsa State, and extended heartfelt sympathies to the bereaved family, praying for strength and comfort during a period it described as “painful and irreparable.”