Ex-militants in the Niger Delta region have appealed to the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, not to contest in the rerun for the Akwa Ibom North West senatorial election, saying he was more useful to the people of the Niger Delta being in the ministry than the Senate.

Recalling that the Court of Appeal recently ordered a rerun in the Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District election in which the minister is a candidate,

The ex-agitators said Akpabio is the only one who has the magic wand to turn around the fortunes of the coastal zone for the good of the people.

They also dissociated the minister from the recent controversy in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NNDC), saying that facts available to them indicated that Akpabio did not mastermind the tranfer of the Commission’s administrative powers from the presidency to his ministry.

The appeal was contained in a statement issued under the name “Coalition of Niger Delta Agitators”, signed by John Dukku and others and made available to journalists in Abuja on Sunday.

The ex-militants also withdrew their sack calls on the minister, urging President Muhammadu Buhari to also ignore same from other quarters.

According to them, their position was informed by new information from the leader of the beneficiaries of the Amnesty Programme, Phase 2 in Akwa Ibom, Imoh Okokoh who engaged them on contemporary issues in the coastal area.

They also pledged their support to both President Buhari and Minister Akpabio to enable them succeed in office. (New Telegraph)