Sack Otuaro Now Or Lose Niger Delta Votes In Totality — General Obioma Warns Tinubu Of Backlash At The Polls

By Passman Akpos

General Sunday Obioma has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immediately remove Dennis Otuaro as Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), warning that the President risks losing the political support of Niger Delta ex-agitators and their followers if their grievances remain unresolved.

Obioma expressed dissatisfaction with the administration of the federal government’s amnesty initiative, accusing Otuaro of failing to translate the reported increase in the programme’s budgetary allocation into meaningful improvements in the welfare of former agitators.

According to the general, the continued economic hardship faced by beneficiaries, despite the reported expansion of the programme’s financial resources, has generated widespread discontent among former agitators who expected better welfare provisions under the current administration.

He argued that the monthly stipends paid to beneficiaries had failed to reflect the increase in the programme’s budget, leaving many struggling to meet their basic needs amid rising living costs.

The Presidential Amnesty Programme was established to facilitate the disarmament, demobilisation, rehabilitation and reintegration of former Niger Delta agitators who accepted the federal government’s amnesty offer.

However, Obioma alleged that the programme was no longer adequately serving the interests of the people for whom it was created, accusing its current leadership of allowing the initiative’s founding objectives to be undermined.

‘PAP Has Become A Gbaramatu Amnesty Programme’

Obioma levelled further allegations against Otuaro, claiming that the programme’s administration favoured the administrator’s friends, associates and family members at the expense of other beneficiaries across the Niger Delta.

He alleged that individuals with close connections to the programme’s leadership enjoyed preferential access to its benefits, while other former agitators continued to experience economic hardship and neglect.

The general reportedly described the situation as the transformation of the Presidential Amnesty Programme into what he called a “Gbaramatu Amnesty Programme,” alleging that its benefits were concentrated among a select group rather than distributed equitably among eligible beneficiaries across the oil-producing region.

The allegations, if substantiated, would raise questions about fairness, transparency and accountability in the administration of a programme that remains central to the federal government’s post-conflict engagement with former Niger Delta agitators.

However, the allegations of favouritism and the alleged concentration of benefits have not been independently established in the information available for this report.

Otuaro and the Presidential Amnesty Programme would need to respond to the claims to provide their account of the programme’s administration and the concerns raised by Obioma.

Budget Increase, But Beneficiaries Still Complain

A central issue raised by Obioma is the relationship between the programme’s reported budgetary increase and the welfare of its beneficiaries.

He questioned the justification for increased government spending if former agitators continued to complain about inadequate stipends, economic hardship and what they considered insufficient support for their reintegration.

According to him, increasing the programme’s annual allocation would achieve little if the additional resources did not produce measurable improvements in beneficiaries’ living conditions.

Obioma maintained that the government must look beyond budgetary figures and assess the actual impact of its spending on former agitators, their families and communities across the Niger Delta.

He also called for greater accountability in the management of the programme, insisting that its resources should be directed towards the welfare, rehabilitation, education, training and economic empowerment of eligible beneficiaries.

The general’s position reflects a broader question about the effectiveness of the amnesty initiative: whether government funding is delivering the intended benefits to former agitators and helping to sustain peace in the region.

Tinubu Faces Political Warning From Niger Delta Ex-Agitators

Beyond the welfare concerns, Obioma warned that the growing dissatisfaction among former agitators could have political implications for President Tinubu and the ruling administration.

He cautioned the President against assuming that Niger Delta ex-agitators and their supporters would continue to offer political backing while their complaints about the administration of the amnesty programme remained unresolved.

According to Obioma, the grievances could influence political support across communities and networks associated with former agitators.

He therefore urged the Presidency to intervene urgently, arguing that retaining Otuaro in office without addressing the allegations and complaints could deepen the perception of neglect among some programme beneficiaries.

The general insisted that the federal government should take the concerns seriously, stressing that the amnesty programme’s beneficiaries should not be taken for granted.

His warning places the administration of the Presidential Amnesty Programme at the centre of a wider debate about the relationship between government spending, the welfare of former combatants and the maintenance of peace in the Niger Delta.

However, Obioma’s warning represents his stated position. The extent to which the grievances are shared across the wider ex-agitator population, and whether they would translate into a collective electoral decision, has not been independently established.

Call For Immediate Removal And Accountability

Obioma maintained that removing Otuaro would be the first step towards addressing what he described as the failures of the programme’s current administration.

He urged Tinubu to prioritise the welfare of former agitators, review the programme’s management and ensure that eligible beneficiaries receive the support intended under the amnesty initiative.

He also called for stronger accountability measures to ensure that the programme’s financial resources are used for their stated purposes and that beneficiaries across the Niger Delta have fair access to its opportunities.

For Obioma, the issue extends beyond the tenure of an individual administrator to the credibility of a government initiative designed to address longstanding grievances in the oil-rich region.

He argued that the federal government must demonstrate that the amnesty programme remains committed to its original objectives rather than allowing dissatisfaction to deepen among those it was established to support.

The controversy also raises questions about the need for transparent reporting on budget implementation, beneficiary numbers, stipend payments, skills-acquisition programmes and the distribution of empowerment opportunities.

Such information could help establish whether the complaints reflect administrative shortcomings, funding priorities or other challenges affecting the programme.

‘Sack Otuaro Now Or Lose Our Votes In Totality’

In his final warning, Obioma called on President Tinubu to act swiftly, insisting that the concerns of former agitators could no longer be ignored.

He maintained that the government’s political interests and its broader objective of sustaining peace in the Niger Delta could be affected if the grievances surrounding the programme were left unresolved.

“Sack Otuaro now or lose our votes in totality,” Obioma declared.

The statement delivers a direct political warning to the Presidency and places renewed attention on the leadership of the Presidential Amnesty Programme.

Whether the federal government will respond to Obioma’s demand, and whether the programme’s leadership will address the allegations of neglect and favouritism, remains to be seen.

For now, the central questions remain whether the welfare concerns raised by former agitators will receive a substantive response, whether the programme’s spending will produce measurable benefits for its intended beneficiaries, and what steps the federal government will take to strengthen transparency and accountability.

As the debate continues, the Presidency and the Presidential Amnesty Programme face calls to demonstrate that the initiative is meeting its objectives of rehabilitation, reintegration and lasting peace in the Niger Delta.