The Bayelsa State House of Assembly on Tuesday confirmed the appointment of Mr Peter Akpe as the new Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State.
Akpe’s confirmation followed his nomination by Governor Douye Diri and subsequent consideration by lawmakers during plenary.
His appointment is in line with Section 191 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which empowers a governor to nominate a replacement deputy governor subject to confirmation by the state House of Assembly in the event of a vacancy.
The position became vacant following the death of the former Deputy Governor, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, in December 2025.
Ewhrudjakpo’s death came weeks after Governor Diri defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress in November 2025. The late deputy governor had declined to join the governor in the defection.
Before his nomination, Akpe, an indigene of Sagbama Local Government Area, served as Chief of Staff to the governor, a strategic role that placed him at the centre of executive coordination and policy implementation.
A former two-term member of the state assembly, Akpe rose through the Bayelsa State civil service to the rank of director before venturing into partisan politics and senior administrative responsibilities. He previously served as Deputy Chief of Staff and later Acting Chief of Staff before his substantive appointment as Chief of Staff.
Lawmakers endorsed his nomination after deliberations at plenary, clearing the path for his swearing-in as deputy governor.
