Akwa Ibom Ex-Militants Back Tinubu for 2027 Election

The Akwa Ibom Ex-Militants Forum has publicly declared its support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's re-election in 2027. In a statement signed by President Elder Okoko, the group expressed confidence in Dr Dennis Brutu Otuaro, the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs and Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP).

They rejected calls for Otuaro's removal, citing his focus on education, skills development, and the reintegration of Niger Delta youths. The forum emphasized the importance of the PAP in maintaining peace and economic empowerment in the region.

They noted that under Otuaro's leadership, the PAP has shifted from merely providing stipends to offering educational opportunities, including a Postgraduate Scholarship Programme that sent 243 youths abroad for studies in various fields in 2026. The forum condemned claims that Otuaro had lost the confidence of stakeholders, attributing some opposition to ethnic or political interests rather than performance assessments.