Eighteen days after defecting to the All Progressive Congress (APC), a former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bayelsa State, Col. Sam Inokoba (rtd), Wednesday slumped and died in Lagos.
Inokoba, aged 67 years, reportedly died while on a private visit to his family.
He was said to have slumped in a hotel room and was rushed to a Military hospital where he finally died.
Former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NNDC), Timi Alaibe, immediately denied reports that Inokoba died in his Lagos home.
Some reports claimed Inokoba slumped and died in Alaibe’s home following exchange of hot words over the issue of both men’s governorship ambitions.
It was alleged that the former NDDC chief had offered the deceased N200 million to step down for him.
In a statement by his aide, Nwokoma Ndu, on Wednesday, Mr. Alaibe described the allegations as “baseless, malicious and wicked”.
The statement said the former NDDC chief had been in Abuja and could not have been responsible for Inokoba’s death.
It accused the PDP-led state government in Bayelsa of being behind the allegation.
“How can somebody who has been in Abuja all week suddenly appear in Lagos for a ghost meeting?” the statement asked.
“It is evident from the hate stories emanating from the pro-PDP media in the state that they want to look for every opportunity to nail Mr. Alaibe due to their fear that he will beat the governor in the December elections if he gets the APC nomination,” he said.
The statement recounted that the PDP had before now accused Alaibe of using President Muhammadu Buhari’s name to raise money to prosecute his governorship ambition.
“How can a man they described as broke suddenly be offering huge money? How far will they go in their bid to bring down the personality of Timi Alaibe?” the statement said.
Inokoba was reported to have procured his “Expression of Intent and Nomination Form” at the APC Secretariat in Abuja to contest the governorship election primaries of the party.
His son, Waripamo Inokoba, said “my father slumped at about 2 am in the early hours of Wednesday and was confirmed dead before he could reach the hospital. Some of our people are on their way to Lagos to bring back his corpse.”
The Bayelsa State Government has, however, expressed shock over the demise of the former State PDP Chairman.
A statement issued by Chief Press Secretary Governor Seriake Dickson, Mr. Daniel Markson-Iworiso, described the death as a “sad and a painful loss to the State.”
Dickson said “He will greatly be missed by his family and close associates, especially the political class.”
He assured the family of the government’s preparedness to support and participate in the rites of passage for the late Col. Inokoba.
Dickson’s predecessor, Timipre Sylva, described Inokoba 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 in Abuja by his Media Adviser, Mr. Doifie Buokoribo, Sylva said Wednesday’s death of Inokoba had left a vacuum that would be impossible to fill.
Sylva, who also dumped PDP for APC, 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.
“Inokoba was a true leader, a successful family man, and a great community leader, and a retired soldier. Our thoughts are with the bereaved family in this time of grief. Inokoba will be missed by all of us.”
The former governor, however, said that the people of Bayelsa State will take solace in the political and communal legacies left by Inokoba.
“We know that the memory of Inokoba will serve as an inspiration to all Bayelsans that knew him,” Sylva stated.
Inokoba defected to the APC on August 15 along with more than 1000 former PDP members.
Alaibe was one of the defectors.
