Mr Waripamo Inokoba, the son of former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Col. Sam Inokoba (rtd.) spoke on the circumstances surrounding the sudden death of his father yesterday.

He said in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital: “My father slumped at about 2am in the early hours of Wednesday and was confirmed dead before he was taken to the hospital. Some of our people are on their way to Lagos to bring back his corpse.”

The Inokoba family, in a statement signed by the deceased elder brother, Clee Inokoba, and first son, Waripamowei, confirmed the incident.

Inokoba, aged 67 recently defected to the All Progressive Congress (APC) and was also said to have procured his Expression of Intent and Nomination Forms at the APC secretariat in Abuja to contest the governorship election primaries of the party.

The Bayelsa State Government has expressed shock over the death.

According to the statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Daniel Markson-Iworiso, “the death of Retired Colonel Inokoba is sad and a painful loss to the state.

He will greatly be missed by his family and close associates especially the political class.

“We pray that God grant the family the fortitude with which to bear the irreparable loss as well as grant his soul eternal rest.

“We assure the family of the government’s preparedness to support and participate in the rites of passage for the late Col. Inokoba.”

It would be recalled that Inokoba had slumped in the past during the last PDP presidential rally held in Yenagoa and was also reported to have slumped during a town hall meeting of the APC in Nembe and vomited.

Reacting to the development, former Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Timipre Sylva, described the late Inokoba (rtd) as a great community leader and an intelligent politician whose contributions to society will be missed by the whole Bayelsa and, indeed, Nigeria.

In a statement issued by his Media Adviser, Mr. Doifie Buokoribo, Sylva said Wednesday’s death of Inokoba had left a vacuum that would be impossible to fill.

Inokoba defected to All Progressives Congress (APC) about a fortnight ago alongside more than 1,000 PDP members.

Sylva, who is also the state’s APC leader, stated: “The news of the death of Col. Sam Inokoba (rtd) was a terrible shock to me, my family, and the entire All Progressives Congress family both in Bayelsa and Nigeria, in general.

“We share the grief of his family and friends. Inokoba was not only close to me, personally, but as a new convert to the current change agenda in Bayelsa State, we shared dreams of a better state, thoughts about the challenges ahead, and regrets about the condition of things in our state.

“He leaves a vacuum that can never be filled. His intellect, political sagacity, insight, and passion for the state, the Ijaw nation, and Nigeria, generally, were wonderful qualities that we cherished.”

•Photo shows late Inokoba.

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