The Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) said it has not adopted any presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections, including President Bola Tinubu.
The regional body urged South-South voters to back only candidates who can advance the Niger Delta’s interests.
PANDEF’s position was made known on Tuesday by its National Chairman, Ambassador Godknows Igali, and the Chairman of its Board of Trustees and former Akwa Ibom State Governor, Victor Attah.
The two leaders spoke with journalists after a forum meeting that drew former governors, ex-ministers, traditional rulers, and other leaders from the six states in the region.
Igali stressed that PANDEF was neither a political party nor a campaign group and would not take sides in the election.
“PANDEF is non-partisan and not supporting any candidate. It is not a political party or support group,” he said.
He urged the people of the region to participate peacefully in the polls and make informed choices.
“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,” Igali said.
He also appealed to Niger Delta indigenes holding federal appointments to show greater commitment to the forum’s activities.
Corroborating Igali, Attah said the forum had maintained a neutral stance.
“We are not aligning ourselves with any candidate. PANDEF has remained entirely neutral and non-partisan,” he said.
The elder statesman added that people should support whoever they believe will do the most for the region and the nation.
PANDEF’s statement comes as campaigns for the 2027 polls gather momentum, with the South-South seen as a crucial bloc due to its oil wealth and contribution to national revenue.
INEC had last month cleared 18 presidential candidates, including Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Adewole Adebayo of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Omoyele Sowore of the African Action Congress (AAC).
The forum also reiterated its call to raise the derivation allocation to oil-producing states from 13 per cent to 50 per cent.
Igali said the increase would enable the region to address pollution, poor infrastructure and other development challenges.
He further demanded the abolition of the onshore-offshore dichotomy, saying host communities deserved a fair share of the resources drawn from their land.
The demands reflect long-standing grievances in the Niger Delta over environmental degradation, loss of livelihoods and neglect, despite the region’s central role in the nation’s economy.
PANDEF brings together leaders from Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo and Rivers states.
