Fidelia Soriwei, Abuja
The Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Dennis Otuaro, has urged the Ijaw Youth Council to mobilise support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Otuaro made the appeal on Sunday when the newly inaugurated 10th leadership of the IYC, led by its President, Doubra Okotete, visited him at his office in Abuja.
He said supporting Tinubu for a second term was in the strategic interest of the Ijaw people and the wider Niger Delta region, while cautioning against divisions that could weaken the region’s political influence.
“My appeal to the IYC is that nothing should divide us. 2027 is already here. Let us back the President and mobilise for him to win a second term.
“We should not allow anybody to cause division among us or trade us for a new hope. It is within the Ijaw strategic national interest to support the President to secure victory,” he said.
The PAP administrator also praised the IYC and other Niger Delta stakeholders for supporting the agency’s peacebuilding initiatives and reforms.
“Many well-meaning stakeholders of the Niger Delta, including the IYC, are in support of the direction we have taken. Their support and cooperation have been massive and encouraging, working together with the Office to sustain peace and stability, and the generations we are preparing for a greater tomorrow in the Niger Delta through huge scholarships,” he stated.
Otuaro said the PAP’s scholarship reforms had expanded educational opportunities for beneficiaries, with 8,700 currently studying at institutions in Nigeria and more than 270 enrolled in universities abroad.
He added that 93 beneficiaries were deployed in January and May, while another 150 were scheduled to begin studies at offshore institutions in August and September.
According to Otuaro, President Tinubu and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, had expressed satisfaction with the PAP’s efforts to promote sustainable peace in the Niger Delta and expand educational opportunities for young people.
He said maintaining peace and stability in the region required the collective commitment of the government, youth organisations and other stakeholders.
Responding, Okotete commended the PAP under Otuaro for what he described as “unprecedented success in the education and empowerment of Niger Delta youths.”
The IYC president praised Otuaro’s management of the programme and said the council was prepared to strengthen its partnership with the PAP and explore additional areas of collaboration.
