Militants and ex-militants in the Niger Delta region have endorsed the re-election bid of President Muhammadu Buhari.
The former militants announced this at the end of a workshop in Port Harcourt, Rivers state capital, on Wednesday.
The militants said they believed that the interest of the region would be well served under President Buhari.
“The Niger Delta is the most important region of Nigeria and also produces over 2 million barrels of oil daily which is the economic bedrock of the country which therefore makes peace a pre-requisite for that sustainable development of the Niger Delta and Nigeria as a whole,” they said in a statement issued after the meeting.
“Participants agreed and that the overall interest of the Niger Delta should be the guarding principle of all political considerations in the run-up to the 2019 presidential elections.
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“Participants observed that since politics is a game of interest, and having realised that the interest of the Niger Delta would be better served by the incumbent president of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari.
“Participants also considered other presidential candidates in the 2019 presidential elections and unanimously endorsed Muhammadu Buhari in the February 16, presidential elections and urged all leaders and ex-agitators to vote en-masse for him.
“Participants also agreed and resolved to pursue peace during and after the elections and also assist all relevant security agencies to achieve and maintain peace in the region.”
Ebikabowei Ben, a militant leader better known as Boyloaf, was nominated to engage directly with Buhari after the elections “with a view of pursing the collective interest of all ex-agitators and the Niger Delta as a whole”.