Governor of Bayelsa State, Douye Diri, yesterday, recalled how he picked Dr Peter Akpe as his new deputy after the death of Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo on December 11, 2025.

Diri said he faced intense “spiritual pressure” before his choice of Akpe, a pastor in The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), who was sworn in on February 25, saying divine direction and prayers of men of God were very helpful.

A statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Alabrah, quoted the governor as speaking yesterday during a special thanksgiving in honour of Akpe at the RCCG regional headquarters along Sani Abacha Expressway in Yenagoa.

He said God made Akpe available through divine direction and that after working closely with the late Ewhrudjakpo for almost six years, his replacement had to be a perfect match.

While speaking to the congregation, Diri said: “While the pressure was on me, I looked out for God’s direction amid the prayers of men of God. At the end of the day, God made Pastor Akpe available through divine direction. Having worked closely with a very hardworking deputy, who passed on, his replacement had to be a perfect match of the former.”

Explaining what guided his decision, the Bayelsa governor stated that it was based on Akpe’s competence and capacity rather than the talk about a speculative maternal relationship.

In his remarks, Akpe shared a personal testimony of his journey from poverty to public office, saying his life mirrors Jacob’s experience at the Jordan River in Genesis 32.

The deputy governor recounted his early life’s struggles, noting that his father was determined to send him to school despite the extreme hardship his family faced at the time.