2027: Ex-gov Attah, PANDEF chiefs deny backing any candidate

National Chairman of PANDEF, Ambassador Godknows Igali and ex-Akwa Ibom State Governor, Obong Victor Attah and Board of Trustees members at the press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday. Photo: Adebayo Folorunsho-Francis.

The Pan Niger Delta Forum on Tuesday declared that it is not backing any presidential candidate for the 2027 general election, urging voters in the South-South to choose leaders based on their capacity to advance the interests of the Niger Delta.

The forum said it remained non-partisan and was not aligned with any political party or presidential candidate, including President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress.

The National Chairman of PANDEF, Ambassador Godknows Igali and ex-Akwa Ibom State Governor, Victor Attah, stated this while addressing journalists after a meeting of the organisation attended by former governors, former ministers, traditional rulers and other stakeholders from the six South-South states.

Igali urged the people of the region to scrutinise candidates and vote according to their conscience, stressing that their choices should reflect the development needs of the Niger Delta and the country.

He said, “PANDEF is non-partisan and not supporting any candidate. It is not a political party or support group. We, therefore, call on the people of the South-South to exercise their civic responsibilities peacefully and vote according to their conscience, choosing candidates at all levels whose programmes, commitments, and demonstrated capacity align with the aspirations of the Niger Delta.

“I repeat, we call on the people of South-South to exercise their civic responsibility peacefully and vote according to their conscience.

“We call on our people to ‘shine your eyes’ and vote according to their conscience. They should look at candidates who have the capacity to help us as a region and move this country forward.”

The PANDEF chairman also urged Niger Delta indigenes holding public offices, particularly at the Federal Government level, to demonstrate greater commitment to the organisation’s activities.

“PANDEF calls on sons and daughters of the Niger Delta who are holding public office, especially at the level of the Federal Government, to show more commitment and interest in the activities of the organisation that are focused on uniting our people and advancing the cause of the Niger Delta.”

Similarly, Attah, who is also the Chairman of PANDEF’s Board of Trustees, said the organisation had not endorsed any candidate for the presidential election.

“We are not aligning ourselves with any candidate. PANDEF has remained entirely neutral and non-partisan.

“As far as we are concerned, we have stated very clearly that the people of the South-South should shine their eyes and vote for whomever they believe would do their best for the Niger Delta region and the country,” he added.

The clarification comes as political parties and presidential candidates intensify preparations for the 2027 general election, with the South-South remaining an important political bloc because of its oil and gas resources and its role in national revenue generation.

Last month, the Independent National Electoral Commission cleared 18 presidential candidates and their running mates for the January 2027 presidential election.

Those listed include Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress, Tinubu of the APC, Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Adewole Adebayo of the Social Democratic Party and Omoyele Sowore of the African Action Congress.

Beyond the election, PANDEF renewed its demand for a substantial increase in the derivation allocation to oil-producing states, calling on the Federal Government to raise the current minimum of 13 per cent to 50 per cent.

Igali said the proposed increase would help address environmental pollution, infrastructure deficits and other development challenges confronting communities in the oil-producing region.

He also called for the abolition of the onshore-offshore dichotomy in revenue allocation, arguing that oil-producing communities should receive a fairer share of the resources extracted from their environment.

The demand reflects longstanding concerns in the Niger Delta over the environmental and economic costs of oil exploration, including pollution, damaged livelihoods and inadequate infrastructure, despite the region’s contribution to national revenue.

The forum brings together political leaders, traditional rulers and other stakeholders from Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo and Rivers states to promote the interests of the Niger Delta.