List of Governors of Bayelsa State and Their Deputies
Below is a comprehensive list of all governors who have served in Bayelsa State as well as the current governor and his deputy. Read on for a full grasp of the information.
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Governors | Deputies | Years in Office | Party |
|---|---|---|---|
Navy Captain Phillip Oladipo Ayeni | Not Stated | October 1996 - February 1997 | Military |
Police Commissioner Habu Daura | Not Stated | February 1997 - June 1997 | Military |
Navy Captain Omoniyi Caleb Olubolade | Not Stated | June 1997 - July 1998 | Military |
Lt. Colonel (retired) Paul Edor Obi | Not Stated | July 1998 - May 1999 | Military |
Diepreye Solomon Peter Alamieyeseigha | Goodluck Jonathan | May 1999 - December 2005 | PDP |
Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan | Not Stated | December 2005 - May 2007 | PDP |
Timipre Marlin Sylva | Not Stated | May 2007 - April 2008 | PDP |
Werinipre Seibarugo | Not Stated | April 2008 - May 2008 | Not Stated |
Timipre Marlin Sylva | Not Stated | May 2008 - January 2012 | PDP |
Nestor K. Binabo | Not Stated | January 2012 - February 2012 | Not Stated |
Henry Seriake Dickson | Gboribiogha John Jonah | February 2012 - February 2020 | PDP |
Douye Diri | Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo | February 2020 – Till Now | PDP |
Introduction
In the center of the Niger Delta, in South-South Nigeria, sits the state of Bayelsa. The following are the salient features of Bayelsa State:
The former Rivers State brought about the new Bayelsa in 1996. It is one of Nigeria’s newest states. However, Yenagoa, the capital and largest city, is prone to yearly flooding.
With a total size of 10,773 square kilometers, it ranks as the 27th largest state in Nigeria. Brass, Ekeremor, Kolokuma/Opokuma, Nembe, Ogbia, Sagbama, Southern Ijaw, and Yenagoa are the eight local government areas in the state.
As of the 2006 census, Bayelsa has a population of 1,704,515, making it one of the least populous states in Nigeria. Ijaw, Ekpetiama, Kolokunu, Igbirian, Biseni, and Atissa are the principal ethnic groupings.
English is the official language, and Ijaw dialects such as Izon, Ogbia, Nembe, and Epie-Atissa are the most spoken languages.
Though some people follow traditional religions, Christianity is the most common religion. Records suggest that Nigeria’s greatest deposits of natural gas and crude oil are found in Bayelsa, which provides 30–40% of the nation’s oil.
Although the petroleum sector dominates the state’s economy, poverty and pollution from oil spills continue to be major issues. Furthermore, agriculture and fishing happen to be their major economic source.
It will be of interest to know that it was a result of the long-standing calls for an Ijaw-majority state in the Niger Delta that led to the creation of Bayelsa.
The first letters of the three main LGAs (Brass, Yenagoa, and Sagbama) were used to construct the State during Sani Abacha’s military regime.
Federal University Otuoke, Federal Polytechnic Ekeowe, and Bayelsa Medical University are the most notable post-secondary educational establishments.
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Who is the Incumbent Governor of Bayelsa State?
Born on June 4, 1959, Douye Diri is a politician from Nigeria who has been the governor of Bayelsa State since February 2020.
He is married to Gloria Diri, with whom he has children. Below are some relevant details about him: Sampou, in the Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, is where Diri was born.
He attended Okoro Primary School in Sampou for his early schooling, and in 1977 he graduated from Rev. Proctor Memorial Primary School in Kaiama with his First School Leaving Certificate.
For his secondary studies, he went to Government Secondary School in Odi. In 1985, Diri graduated from the College of Education in Port Harcourt with a National Certificate in Education (NCE).
Later, in 1990, he graduated with a Bachelor of Education in Political Science from the University of Port Harcourt. Before entering politics, Diri was a teacher in several state-run institutions.
From 2000 to 2002, he was the Executive Secretary of the Bayelsa State Center for Youth Development. During Goodluck Jonathan’s term as governor of Bayelsa State, from 2005 to 2007, Diri served as Commissioner for Youth and Sports.
From 2008 until 2012, he served on the University of Maiduguri’s Governing Council. From 2012 until 2014, Diri worked for Governor Henry Seriake Dickson as his deputy chief of staff and then as his principal executive secretary.
Representing the Kolokuma/Opokuma/Yenagoa Federal Constituency, he was elected to the House of Representatives in 2015.
Diri was chosen to represent the Bayelsa Central Senatorial District in the Senate in 2019. In the same year, he ran for and was victorious in the People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) primary election for governor.
The Supreme Court invalidated the results of the 2019 governorship election, even though the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate had been the initial winner because of problems with the deputy governor-elect’s qualifications.
The PDP candidate with the most valid votes, Diri, was directed by the court to take the oath of office as the governor of Bayelsa State on February 14, 2020.
It was recalled that the Bayelsa State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal denied the APC candidate’s petition in May 2024, upholding Diri’s reelection to a second term in office.
Who is The Current Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State?
Currently serving as Bayelsa State’s deputy governor is Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo. Some Important details about Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo include:
He is regarded as one of the best-educated public officials in Nigeria. He is a member of Nigeria’s League of the Most Competent Public Officials.
Between 1999 and 2024, he served in Nigeria’s government in different capacities. He oversees a seven-person committee in Bayelsa State as of April 2024, although the body’s objectives are unclear.
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