Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri has ordered an autopsy to determine the cause of death of Deputy Governor, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo.
Diri gave the directive on Saturday while receiving former President Goodluck Jonathan at the Government House in Yenagoa.
Ewhrudjakpo collapsed in his office on Thursday and was rushed to the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
The governor condemned what he described as attempts to politicise the deputy governor’s death, particularly on social media.
“I want to make an appeal. I have seen people politicise his death. In Ijaw land, there is no enmity in death. Let nobody politicise the death of our dearly beloved deputy governor,” Diri said.
Speaking during the visit, Jonathan described Ewhrudjakpo as a committed public servant and a close associate of his foundation. “For me, he was somebody my foundation and I will never forget.
He represented the governor in all our programmes,” the former president said, adding that Ewhrudjakpo worked even harder in that role than when he served as deputy governor.
Governor Diri added, “I have directed that an autopsy be done to reveal the cause of his death. There is a lot of nonsense going on on social media.”
Diri urged the public to focus on mourning, noting that the state had declared three working days of mourning.
“If anybody is issuing any statement to eulogise him, please end at that and mourn him because the state is in a mourning mood,” he said.
The governor also called for unity, saying, “Let us love one another to the point of death because all of us will answer this call one day.”
