Repentant militants under the aegis of Akwa Ibom Ex-Militants Forum has reaffirmed its support for President Bola Tinubu.

The ex-militants have declared its backing for his re-election bid in the 2027 presidential election under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

The group 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, while rejecting calls for his removal from office.

In a statement signed by the President of the forum, Elder Okoko on Wednesday, the group said it remained committed to the Niger Delta peace process and recognised the role of the Presidential Amnesty Programme in sustaining stability and supporting former militants.

The forum said the Niger Delta needed stability, responsible leadership, investment in human capital and continued engagement by the Federal Government.

“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 said.

The group also defended Otuaro against what it described as recent campaigns for his removal, saying his leadership of the Amnesty Programme had placed greater emphasis on education, skills acquisition, vocational training, empowerment and sustainable reintegration.

“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,” it stated.

“As stakeholders and beneficiaries of the Niger Delta peace process, we recognise the critical role of PAP in sustaining peace, rehabilitation, reintegration, human-capital development and economic empowerment across the region.”

The forum commended what it described as the expansion of PAP’s postgraduate scholarship programme under Otuaro.

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

The beneficiaries, it said, were 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 forum said.

The forum also rejected claims that Otuaro had lost the confidence of Niger Delta stakeholders, arguing that some of the campaigns against him appeared to be motivated by ethnic, sectional, personal or political interests.

It, however, said its support for Otuaro should not be interpreted as opposition to the Ijaw ethnic nationality, noting that it respected the Ijaw people and their historical contributions to the Niger Delta struggle.

The group said the Presidential Amnesty Programme was a Federal Government intervention and should therefore serve the interests of the entire Niger Delta rather than any particular ethnic group.

“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,” the statement said.

The forum further argued that different ethnic nationalities in the Niger Delta should have opportunities to participate in the administration of the programme.

“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 added.

The group also expressed confidence in National Security Adviser Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, citing his role in coordinating national security and strategic interventions aimed at maintaining peace and stability.

Its position also marks a continuation of its previous public engagement with the Federal Government and the Presidential Amnesty Programme. In 2024, the forum had welcomed Tinubu’s appointment of Otuaro as PAP administrator, while also raising concerns about the treatment of Akwa Ibom beneficiaries under the programme.

The group said the ultimate measure of the Amnesty Programme should be its ability to preserve peace, transform lives and prepare young people for sustainable livelihoods.

“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,” it said.

The forum appealed to stakeholders across the region to put peace and development ahead of political and sectional interests.

“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.