2027: Ex-Militants Declare Support For Tinubu’s Re-election

Former militants have declared their support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.

Naija News reports that the Akwa Ibom former militants also passed a vote of confidence in the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs and Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Dr Dennis Brutu Otuaro.

The group rejected recent calls for Otuaro’s removal, saying his leadership had placed greater focus on education, skills development, empowerment and the reintegration of Niger Delta youths.

The group’s position was in a statement signed by the forum’s President, Elder Okoko, and made available to journalists in Uyo on Wednesday.

The former militants said they were speaking as stakeholders and beneficiaries of the Niger Delta peace process, stressing the importance of the PAP in maintaining peace, rehabilitation, reintegration, human capital development, and economic empowerment in the region.

“The Akwa Ibom Ex-Militants Forum reaffirms its support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, and his Renewed Hope Agenda. We believe the Niger Delta requires stability, responsible leadership, sustained investment in human capital and continued Federal Government engagement,” the statement read.

On Otuaro, the forum said, “The Akwa Ibom Ex-Militants Forum has expressed its unwavering support for the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs, Dr Dennis Brutu Otuaro, and strongly condemned recent calls by certain individuals and groups for his removal from office.”

The forum said the Amnesty Programme under Otuaro had moved beyond its traditional focus on monthly stipends to place more attention on education, vocational training, skills acquisition, empowerment and sustainable reintegration.

It particularly praised the expansion of the PAP Postgraduate Scholarship Programme.

According to the group, 243 Niger Delta youths were deployed for postgraduate studies abroad in 2026, including 150 recently sent to universities in the United Kingdom.

The beneficiaries are studying courses including Cybersecurity, Software Engineering, Law, Global Public Health, Oil and Gas Engineering, Fintech Analytics, Construction Engineering Management, Forensic Audit and Data Science.

“These investments represent opportunities for young people to acquire knowledge and skills that can contribute meaningfully to the development of the Niger Delta and Nigeria,” the statement added.

Ex-Militants Reject Calls For Otuaro’s Removal

The former militants also rejected claims that Otuaro had lost the confidence of Niger Delta stakeholders.

It expressed concern that some of the campaigns against the PAP administrator appeared to be influenced by ethnic, sectional, personal or political interests rather than an assessment of his performance.

The forum, however, clarified that its position should not be seen as opposition to the Ijaw ethnic nationality.

It said it respected the Ijaw people and recognized their contributions to the Niger Delta struggle.

“However, no ethnic group owns the Presidential Amnesty Programme. PAP is a Federal Government intervention established for the peace, stability, rehabilitation and development of the Niger Delta and must therefore serve the collective interest of the region and Nigeria.

“Let it be on record that the Ijaw ethnic nationality does not deserve a chance to take over the PAP administration at the moment, as they have served multiple terms in recent PAP history. Other ethnic nationalities also deserve a chance,” it stated.

The forum also reaffirmed its support for President Tinubu and expressed confidence in the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.

It commended Ribadu for his role in coordinating national security and strategic interventions aimed at maintaining peace and stability.

The group said the success of the Presidential Amnesty Programme should not be measured only by financial support but by the peace it preserves, lives it changes, young people it educates and skills it develops.

“The Akwa Ibom Ex-Militants Forum believes that the success of the Presidential Amnesty Programme should ultimately be measured by the peace it preserves, lives it transforms, young people it educates, skills it develops and the sustainable future it creates for the Niger Delta.

“We appeal to all stakeholders to place peace above politics, development above personal interests and the collective future of the Niger Delta above ethnic and sectional considerations. The Niger Delta cannot afford another cycle of instability,” the statement added.