*Timipre Sylva, Governor Dickson condole family

Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt

The former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bayelsa state, Col. Sam Inokoba (Rtd) who recently joined the All Progressives Congress (APC) early today slumped and died in Lagos while on a private visit to his family.

Inokoba, aged 67 was reported 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.

According to his son, Waripamo Inokoba, “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 Inokoba,confirmed the incident.

Mourners thronged the home of the deceased in Yenagoa this morning, with some of them whispering that the Former PDP Chairman may have died of food poisoning, while others claimed that the deceased Chairman’s health was frail and that he should have gone on a deserved holiday devoid of political activities. Inokoba had slumped during the last PDP Presidential rally held in Yenagoa and was also reported to have eaten a wrong food during a town hall meeting of the APC in Nembe and vomited.

One of the early sympathizers to the house,a Former Member of the State House of Assembly, Hon. Indutimi Komonibo,in his condolence message in a register opened at the home of the deceased stated that “You are a great loss to us.Hard to believe.But no one can question God.”

Also in his condolence message,a former Special Adviser on media during the administration of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan in the State,Dickson Ageda,described the death of the Former PDP Chairman as “shocking”,”A painful exit.God knows best.May Your Soul rest in Peace.”

Messages of condolence have also been issued by Bayelsa State Government and a former governor of the state, Timipre Sylva.

The Bayelsa government expressed shock over the demise of the Former State PDP Chairman. 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”

In his condolence massage,the Former governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Timipre Sylva, described 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.

The former Governor 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 the All Progressives Congress (APC) about a fortnight ago alongside more than 1000 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 State 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.

Ends