BY AHMED AKANBI
Former militants in Akwa Ibom State have declared support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.
The group, under the Akwa Ibom Ex-Militants Forum, 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 Otuaro.
They rejected recent calls for Otuaro’s removal, saying his leadership has refocused the programme on education, skills acquisition, empowerment and sustainable reintegration.
The position was contained in a statement signed by the Forum’s President, Elder Okoko, where the ex-militants described themselves as stakeholders and beneficiaries of the Niger Delta peace process and stressed PAP’s role in peace, rehabilitation and human capital development.
”The Akwa Ibom Ex-Militants Forum reaffirms its support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his Renewed Hope Agenda. We believe the Niger Delta requires stability, responsible leadership and sustained Federal Government engagement,” the statement said.
On Otuaro, the forum declared “unwavering support” and condemned calls for his sack by some individuals and groups.
It said PAP under Otuaro has moved beyond monthly stipends to prioritize education, vocational training and sustainable reintegration.
The group specifically commended expansion of the PAP Postgraduate Scholarship Programme, noting 243 youths were sponsored abroad in 2026, including 150 recently deployed to UK universities.
The beneficiaries are studying cybersecurity, software engineering, law, public health, oil and gas engineering, fintech analytics, construction management, forensic auditing and data science.
The forum dismissed claims that Otuaro had lost stakeholders’ confidence, saying campaigns against him were driven by ethnic, sectional and political interests.
It clarified its stance was not opposition to the Ijaw ethnic nationality, which it said it respects for its contributions to Niger Delta struggle.
It however insisted no ethnic group owns PAP, noting Ijaws have served multiple terms in recent PAP leadership and other ethnic nationalities deserve a chance.
The forum also expressed confidence in National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu for coordinating security efforts to sustain peace, and urged stakeholders to place peace above politics.