Pauline Onyibe 
A Group known as Concerned Stakeholders of the Niger Delta, has strongly condemned what they describe as another reckless smear campaign against Chief Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Chief Dr. Samuel Ogbuku.
The group dismissed recent online reports alleging that Ogbuku was backing a purported presidential ambition of former President Goodluck Jonathan ahead of the 2027 general elections, describing the claims as false, mischievous, and politically motivated.
In a statement issued on Friday and signed by its President-General, HRH Alaowei Amawari, the group, comprising community leaders, professionals, youth, women, and activists across the Niger Delta region, decried the reports as a fabricated narrative disseminated by a faceless group and obscure online platforms.
“This is political maneuvering taken too far,” the group said. “Those promoting these allegations are clearly enemies of the Niger Delta region. The claims against Chief Ogbuku are not only baseless but outright nonsense.”
The stakeholders described the purveyors of the falsehood as “irrational, childish, and irresponsible,” stating that such actions reflect the intellectual emptiness of petty political adversaries who seek to derail the Commission’s progress and the region’s development.
“While we could have ignored the poorly worded and extraneous communication, we chose to respond because there have been several similar attempts in the past to malign Chief Samuel Ogbuku’s character and office,” the group said.
They emphasized that the continued attacks on Ogbuku were aimed at undermining the achievements of the current NDDC board and management in repositioning the Commission and tackling the region’s long-standing developmental challenges.
“As critical stakeholders, we can assert without a shadow of doubt that there is an unspoken consensus across the Niger Delta in support of President Bola Tinubu’s administration and his Renewed Hope Agenda,” the statement added.
The group further credited Dr. Ogbuku for championing this agenda and aligning the NDDC’s vision with the President’s development goals for the region.
“Ogbuku’s leadership reflects Mr. President’s dream of a viable and sustainable Nigeria. His efforts are already etching President Tinubu’s name in gold in the annals of Niger Delta history,” the statement said.
Citing the recent commissioning of a permanent NDDC office building in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, the group described it as a significant milestone achieved under Ogbuku’s tenure—25 years after the Commission’s creation.
“That Bayelsa State now has a permanent and befitting edifice for the NDDC should be a source of pride and gratitude, not an excuse for character assassination,” they said.
The stakeholders lamented the lack of appreciation from certain quarters, stating that instead of celebrating progress, anti-development actors are attempting to discredit the man responsible for the achievement.
“For those of us who have followed Dr. Ogbuku’s actions and leadership style over the years, it is evident he is a loyal supporter of President Tinubu and a key driver of the Renewed Hope Agenda in the region,” the statement concluded.
They affirmed that Dr. Ogbuku remains central to the growing consensus within the region that President Tinubu’s re-election in 2027 is sacrosanct.
