6 govs nominated for N/Delta peace awards

Six governors from the Niger Delta and South-South region have been nominated for the 2025 Niger Delta Peace and Meritorious Awards, as organisers unveiled a public voting process to determine the winner of the Governor of the Year (Infrastructure and Development) category. The organisers of the Niger Delta Peace and Meritorious Awards announced that the […]

Six governors from the Niger Delta and South-South region have been nominated for the 2025 Niger Delta Peace and Meritorious Awards, as organisers unveiled a public voting process to determine the winner of the Governor of the Year (Infrastructure and Development) category.

The organisers of the Niger Delta Peace and Meritorious Awards announced that the nominees are Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori; Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno; Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo; Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri; and Cross River State Governor, Prince Bassey Otu, River State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara

This is contained in a statement signed by Sam Ujong Ekpambe on behalf of the organisers of the Niger Delta Peace and Meritorious Awards.

According to the statement, the award is aimed at recognising exceptional leadership in infrastructure delivery and development across the region.

The organisers disclosed that the final recipient of the Governor of the Year (Infrastructure and Development) honour will be selected exclusively through a voting category, giving members of the public a decisive role in the process.

The statement noted that the initiative was introduced to strengthen transparency, fairness and citizen participation in leadership recognition.

According to the statement, the public voting platform allows citizens to directly support governors they believe have demonstrated outstanding commitment to infrastructure development, peacebuilding, good governance and socio-economic growth.

The organisers said this approach reflects the awards’ belief that leadership recognition should be driven by the people who experience the impact of governance at the grassroots.

Furthermore, the organisers explained that the nominated governors were carefully shortlisted following a rigorous assessment process based on performance indicators, public service impact and measurable contributions to both regional and national development.

These benchmarks, the organisers said, were designed to ensure that only leaders with verifiable records of service and development initiatives were considered for the award.

They further stressed that the eventual winner would emerge solely from votes cast by the general public within the stipulated voting period, without interference from the organisers or external stakeholders.

This, according to the committee, is in line with the core values of accountability and democratic engagement that underpin the Niger Delta Peace and Meritorious Awards.

The organisers also highlighted that the introduction of the voting category underscores the awards’ broader mission of promoting peace, unity and sustainable development in the Niger Delta region.

By encouraging public participation, they said the awards seek to deepen civic engagement and foster a stronger sense of ownership among citizens in governance processes.

While details of the voting platforms and timelines have not yet been released, the committee assured that full information would be officially communicated in the coming weeks.

The award presentation ceremony, they added, is expected to attract high-level stakeholders from government, civil society organisations, the private sector and development partners from across the country.