Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, Bayelsa deputy governor, was a man whose life was defined by an unusual hunger for knowledge and an unbroken record of public service. His story came to a sudden and tragic end on Thursday evening after he collapsed at the Government House in Yenagoa. Hours later, the Peoples Democratic Party confirmed his death, describing him as a man who lived by principle and left public service better than he met it.
Ini Ememobong, PDP spokesperson, said the party received the news “with deep shock”, adding that his passing had thrown the National Working Committee into “profound grief”. “He was a person of conviction, not convenience,” the party said in its tribute. “He held firmly to belief, integrity and strength of character until his final moments.”
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From Ofoni to national politics
Born on September 5, 1965, in Ofoni in Sagbama, Ewhrudjakpo grew up in a family rooted in community life and public duty. His childhood in the riverine communities of Bayelsa shaped his early understanding of service, responsibility and the importance of education.
He began his schooling at Ebikimiye Primary School, Kpakiama, completing his First School Leaving Certificate in 1976. After secondary education at Government College Bomadi and Community Secondary School, Ofoni, he set off on what would become one of the most extensive academic journeys in Bayelsa public life.
Between 1989 and 1991, he earned a diploma in community health from the Rivers State College of Health Technology. His thirst for learning pushed him further to the Rivers State University of Science and Technology, where he obtained a degree in secretarial administration, followed by a Master’s in Business Administration in 2000.
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He returned to the same university for his LLB and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 2009. Still unsatisfied, he went on to complete courses in negotiation, mediation and arbitration in Ghana, and in international human rights law in the United Kingdom, eventually earning an LLM in 2012. In 2023, he was awarded a PhD in Human Rights and Labour Law.
His academic path was not just a personal pursuit but a preparation for a public life that demanded both technical knowledge and political wisdom.
Building a career in public service
Ewhrudjakpo began his career in community health and administration, serving in various roles in Rivers and Bayelsa states, including head of administration in the Port Harcourt City Council Primary Health Care Department and assistant coordinator for monitoring and evaluation in Bayelsa.
He later became a key figure in the National Association of Community Health Practitioners of Nigeria, where he served first as secretary-general and then as executive secretary. His work helped shape national discussions on health reforms and community health systems.
In 2009, he moved into legal practice as principal partner at GoldMark Chambers, but even then remained closely tied to public institutions, advisory bodies and policy groups. He presented papers across Nigeria and abroad, speaking on change management, health sector reform and organisational development.
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Rise to political prominence
His political breakthrough came when former governor Henry Seriake Dickson appointed him commissioner for works and infrastructure in 2012. For eight years, he oversaw major projects that changed Bayelsa’s physical landscape. Colleagues often credited him with bringing discipline and technical depth to a ministry known for heavy pressure and demanding timelines.
He won the PDP primary for Bayelsa West in 2018 and secured victory in the 2019 senatorial election. His time in the senate was short but eventful, ending when the Supreme Court ruling of February 2020 installed Douye Diri as governor and made him deputy governor.
In this role, Ewhrudjakpo built a reputation as a steady hand during tense communal disputes. He spent long hours negotiating peace in riverine communities, urging restraint and dialogue. “No matter how strong a matter is, there is always a solution,” he often said. “Once there is a dispute and a life is lost, it becomes difficult to resolve. We encourage everyone to maintain the path of peace.”
He also chaired the Nigerian International Coastal Border Platform, working with coastal states to strengthen cooperation on piracy and maritime crime.
Controversies and challenges
His public life was not without controversy. At various points, he faced questions over certificates and legal proceedings, including a bench warrant issued by a Lugbe Area Court in a pre-election matter. Supporters described these as political battles common in the rough terrain of Bayelsa politics.
Yet even in the face of disputes, he maintained a public posture of calm engagement, often saying that leadership required patience, restraint and the courage to keep working despite distractions.
A life of constant motion
Those who worked closely with Ewhrudjakpo often spoke of his near obsession with learning and improvement. He was known to encourage young people to “study beyond your comfort” and frequently credited education for shaping his rise from a small community in Sagbama to the upper tiers of national politics.
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His death leaves a major vacuum in Bayelsa’s political life. To many party members, he was both a loyalist and a quiet strategist. To community leaders, he was the man they called when tensions flared. And to his peers, he was the rare politician who seemed always prepared, always studying, always searching for better ways to solve problems.
As Bayelsa mourns, his life stands as the story of a man whose journey stretched from a village classroom to some of the most demanding offices in Nigerian public service. A man who lived in the constant pursuit of knowledge, service and stability. A man who, in the words of his party, practised politics “with principle” until the very end.
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