2027: Otuaro urges IYC to mobilize support for Tinubu’s re- election

The Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Dr Dennis Brutu Otuaro, has called on the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) to intensify its mobilisation efforts in support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s bid for a second term in office, saying the President’s re-election is in the strategic interest of the Ijaw people and the wider Niger Delta region.

A statement signed by the Special Assistant on Media to the Administrator Presidential Amnesty Programme , Mr Igoniko Oduma Stated that Otuaro made the call when the newly inaugurated 10th leadership of the IYC, led by its President, Dr Doubra Okotete, paid a courtesy visit to the PAP Administrator at his office in Abuja at the weekend.

The PAP boss urged the new IYC leadership to prioritise unity, peace and collective interests as the 2027 general elections approach, warning that the region must guard against internal divisions and political distractions that could undermine its ability to advance its interests at the national level.

He specifically appealed to the council to rally Ijaw youths and other stakeholders behind President Tinubu, arguing that continued engagement and strategic partnership with the Federal Government would serve the long-term interests of the Niger Delta.

“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,” Otuaro said.

PAP’s Peacebuilding Efforts

Otuaro also used the occasion to commend the IYC and other stakeholders across the Niger Delta for what he described as their consistent cooperation and support for the peacebuilding initiatives of the Presidential Amnesty Programme.

He said the cooperation of traditional leaders, youth organisations, community stakeholders and other well-meaning individuals had contributed significantly to the efforts to sustain peace and stability in the region.

According to him, the support has become particularly important as the PAP implements reforms aimed at strengthening human capital development, education, empowerment and other interventions designed to provide young people of the Niger Delta with opportunities for a better future.

“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 preparing generations for a greater tomorrow in the Niger Delta through huge scholarship opportunities,” he said.

The Administrator noted that the peace and stability currently being consolidated in the region could not be sustained by government alone, stressing that cooperation among government institutions, youth organisations and community stakeholders remained essential.

Scholarship Expansion

Otuaro also highlighted the expansion of the PAP scholarship programme as one of the major areas of intervention under his administration.

He disclosed that about 8,700 Niger Delta youths are currently studying in institutions within Nigeria, while more than 270 beneficiaries have been deployed to universities and other higher institutions outside the country.

He added that the programme had continued to expand, with 93 beneficiaries deployed in January and May, while another 150 beneficiaries were scheduled to be dispatched to institutions abroad in August and September.

According to him, the expansion of the scholarship programme is part of a broader strategy to equip young people from the Niger Delta with the education, skills and qualifications required to compete effectively in an increasingly competitive global environment.

He said the initiative was also designed to contribute to long-term peace by addressing some of the underlying socioeconomic challenges confronting young people in the oil-producing region.

The PAP Administrator said only a few individuals, whom he described as selfish interests, remained unhappy with the reforms and the “sanity” that had been introduced into the programme, particularly in the area of scholarship administration and the deployment of beneficiaries to reputable onshore and offshore institutions.

Otuaro said the reforms were being implemented in the overall interest of the Niger Delta and future generations of the region.

Tinubu, Ribadu Back PAP Reforms

The PAP Administrator further stated that President Tinubu and the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, had expressed satisfaction with the programme’s efforts to consolidate sustainable peace in the Niger Delta.

He said the Federal Government was particularly encouraged by the progress being recorded in the education and human-capital development components of the programme.

Otuaro maintained that the peacebuilding efforts of the PAP were not only about addressing immediate security concerns but also about creating sustainable opportunities that would reduce youth restiveness and strengthen the region’s human capital.

He thanked the IYC leadership for the courtesy visit and reiterated that maintaining peace and stability in the Niger Delta remained a collective responsibility.

IYC Commends Otuaro

Earlier, the IYC President, Dr Doubra Okotete, explained that the delegation’s visit was primarily to acknowledge what he described as the “unprecedented success” recorded by the Presidential Amnesty Programme in the areas of education and empowerment of Niger Delta youths under Otuaro’s leadership.

Okotete commended the PAP Administrator for his commitment to the development of young people in the region, particularly his efforts to expand access to quality education through the scholarship programme.

He also praised what he described as the judicious application of funds under the programme, saying the initiative had enabled thousands of Niger Delta youths to access educational opportunities that would otherwise have been difficult to obtain.

The IYC President expressed the council’s readiness to strengthen its relationship with the Presidential Amnesty Programme and collaborate with the office in areas that would further promote peace, youth development, education and empowerment across the Niger Delta.

He said the new IYC leadership was prepared to explore additional areas of partnership with the PAP in order to advance the interests of the Ijaw people and the wider Niger Delta.

The meeting underscored the growing importance of collaboration between government institutions and youth organisations in sustaining peace, expanding economic and educational opportunities and ensuring that the Niger Delta remains a key partner in Nigeria’s national development.