The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has declared that it has not endorsed any presidential candidate for the 2027 general election, urging voters in the South-South to support candidates whose programmes and capacity align with the development needs of the Niger Delta.
The forum said it remained non-partisan and was not affiliated with any political party or presidential candidate ahead of the elections.
National Chairman of PANDEF, Ambassador Godknows Igali, stated this on Tuesday while addressing journalists after a meeting attended by former governors, former ministers, traditional rulers and other stakeholders from the six South-South states.
Igali urged residents of the region to scrutinise candidates and vote according to their conscience, stressing that their choices should reflect the aspirations of the Niger Delta and the country.
“PANDEF is non-partisan and not supporting any candidate. It is not a political party or support group,” he said.
He called on voters to exercise their civic responsibilities peacefully and consider candidates at all levels whose programmes, commitments and demonstrated capacity align with the interests of the region.
“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 added.
The PANDEF chairman also urged Niger Delta indigenes occupying public offices, particularly at the federal 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,” he said.
Also speaking, former Akwa Ibom State Governor and Chairman of PANDEF’s Board of Trustees, Victor Attah, reiterated that the organisation had not endorsed any presidential candidate.
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“We are not aligning ourselves with any candidate. PANDEF has remained entirely neutral and non-partisan,” Attah said.
He urged voters in the South-South to assess the candidates and support those they believed would best serve the interests of the Niger Delta and Nigeria.
Beyond the 2027 elections, PANDEF renewed its demand for an increase in the derivation allocation to oil-producing states from the current minimum of 13 per cent to 50 per cent.
Igali said a higher allocation would help address environmental pollution, infrastructure deficits and other development challenges confronting oil-producing communities.
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.
PANDEF 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.
The forum’s declaration comes as political parties and presidential aspirants intensify preparations for the 2027 general election.