He died due to injuries sustained during a fall in his country home in Bayelsa.
A chieftain of the Bayelsa State chapter of the All Progressives' Congress (APC), Chief Lionel Jonathan-Omo, has tragically died after falling from the balcony of his two-storey country home in Beleu-Pogo in Ogbolomabiri, Nembe local government area of the state.
The former Commissioner for Environment is reported to have fallen from the balcony after suffering from dizziness and attempting to get up. He was found by his wife who reportedly heard the fall from inside the house, according to The Punch.
He underwent surgery at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital in Rivers State but did not survive the surgical operation on Thursday, July 12, 2018.
APC mourns Jonathan-Omo's loss
The spokesperson of the Bayelsa chapter of the APC, Doifie Buokoribo, described Jonathan-Omo's death as an "indescribable loss", and described the deceased as "a wonderful party man, a great Bayelsan, and an illustrious Ijaw son".
He said, "Jonathan-Omo broke his limbs in a fall and fought bravely for his life at a private hospital in Port Harcourt to recover from the injuries he sustained. He never survived them.
"The chief died Thursday after an unsuccessful operation. All of us had hoped that Jonathan-Omo would recover from his injuries and get on with his life, particularly at this time of intense political activities in our state and country when his experience and wisdom are seriously needed.
"Jonathan-Omo was a wonderful party man, a great Bayelsan, and an illustrious Ijaw son. He was at the forefront of every popular activity - politically, economically, and socially - to better the lives of people in his state and nation. He believed in truth and fought for it with every resource and avenue at his disposal.
"A democrat to the core, he always believed in dialogue and was always ready to listen to others. Jonathan-Omo never judged or forced his opinion on anyone. He characteristically gave room for the ventilation of opinions, even from his fiercest opponents. His valuable and truthful counsels are some of the things we will surely miss.
"Jonathan-Omo was focused and intelligent, a man of magically brilliant political ideas. The remarkable thing about his ideas is that they were always meant to help and better society. He was sacrificial, but strong and hated being vulnerable. He was an incurable optimist and a huge encouragement to his political allies. He offered comfort and motivation to those around him."
Jonathan-Omo was the deputy campaign director of the Sylva-Igiri Campaign Organisation for the Bayelsa State gubernatorial election in 2016.