Diri nominates chief of staff as new deputy governor

Governor Douye Diri has nominated his Chief of Staff, Peter Akpe, as deputy governor to replace the late Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, who passed December 11, last year.

Diri forwarded his name to the state House of Assembly, which sat on Tuesday and confirmed the nomination of one of their own.

Akpe, who hails from Ebedebiri community in Sagbama Local Government Area of the state, is a two-term member of the state House of Assembly and represented Sagbama Constituency 1.

He served as Majority Leader of the House between 2011 and 2019 before his appointment as Deputy Chief of Staff in Diri’s first term and then substantive Chief of Staff in 2024.

There was speculation concerning the appointment of a new deputy governor with intense lobbying until the appointment of Akpe who is also an academic and administrator.

Multiple sources at the House of Assembly confirmed the receipt of the governor’s letter of nomination and that the lawmakers did not have much to do since Akpe had served as a legislator.

Kola Oredipe, Director-General, New Media, in a post on WhatsApp, congratulated Akpe on his nomination as deputy governor.