The Coalition of Youth Leaders and Stakeholders in Akwa Ibom State has passed a vote of confidence in Governor Umo Bassey Eno, President Bola Tinubu and Senate President Godswill Akpabio, pledging continued support for their political aspirations and candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The coalition made its position known in a communiqué issued at the end of its meeting and media briefing in Uyo, commended Gov Eno for what they described as his commitment to infrastructure development, human-capital development, youth empowerment and grassroots transformation across the state.

They specifically highlighted programmes and interventions, like DASAC training programmes, Ibom-LED initiatives, youth grants, Youth-Friendly Centres across the 31 local government areas and opportunities for young people in government and grassroots administration.

The coalition hinted, more than 2,000 beneficiaries have received training and grants of ₦750,000 each through the Ibom-LED Centre on IBB Avenue, Uyo, while 62 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises have reportedly received ₦5 million each, amounting to ₦310 million in interventions.

The group also praised the Eno’s administration educational support, citing the reported disbursement of about ₦1.69 billion in student bursaries at ₦50,000 per beneficiary, as well as monthly support of ₦20,000 for 98,000 National Youth Service Corps members.

On youth participation in governance, they said the Gov Eno had created opportunities for young people through political appointments, Ward Personal Assistants and the involvement of Village Youth Presidents in community security initiatives.

“This is an approximately 91 per cent of the state’s youth structure reportedly serves as Ward Personal Assistants, describing the arrangement as evidence of deliberate efforts to promote grassroots youth participation.”

Consequently, they rejected claims that the ARISE administration was anti-youth, youth-unfriendly or had marginalised young people in the state, calling on the government to sustain and expand its youth-focused programmes, while ensuring access to opportunities and inclusive.

The leaders, however, distanced themselves from recent social media statements attributed to Prince Akan Etteudoh concerning the state government and youth affairs, saying,youth across the state will remain peaceful, while pursuing their aspirations through dialogue, responsible advocacy and constructive engagement.

They maintained that Etteudoh did not have the mandate to speak on behalf of the entire youth or the collective youth leadership structure of Akwa Ibom State, urging stakeholders to avoid presenting personal opinions as the collective position of the state’s youths.

The group reaffirmed its commitment to a constructive partnership between the government and Akwa Ibom youths, stressing that they should be regarded not only as leaders of tomorrow but also as partners in building the state today.

The coalition’s declaration comes ahead of the 2027 political season, with the youth leaders pledging support for Governor Umo Eno, President Tinubu, Senate President Akpabio and the candidates aligned with their political platform.