Otuaro Urges Ijaw Youths, Niger Deltans To Mobilize Support For President Tinubu’s Re-Election -

By Ebiowei Gabriel

Abuja— The Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Dr. Dennis Burutu Otuaro, Ph.D., has called on the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) and other Niger Delta stakeholders to mobilise robust support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Otuaro made the appeal in Abuja when the newly inaugurated 10th leadership of the IYC, led by its President, Doubra Okotete, paid him a courtesy visit. He described backing the President’s second-term ambition as a strategic imperative for the Ijaw nation and the broader Niger Delta region.

“2027 is already here. Let us back the President and mobilise for him to win a second term,” Otuaro stated. He cautioned Ijaw leaders and youths against allowing political differences to fracture regional unity, stressing that a cohesive front was essential in the build-up to the elections.

The PAP Administrator commended the IYC and other Niger Delta stakeholders for their consistent support of the programme’s peacebuilding efforts. He noted that this collaboration had helped sustain stability in the region and advanced critical reforms, particularly in education and youth empowerment.

Providing updates on the programme’s interventions, Otuaro disclosed that 8,700 beneficiaries are currently pursuing studies in tertiary institutions across Nigeria, while more than 270 have been deployed to universities abroad. He added that 93 beneficiaries were deployed in January and May, with another 150 scheduled for overseas institutions in August and September.

These educational initiatives, he explained, form part of a deliberate strategy to equip Niger Delta youths with the skills and opportunities needed to drive sustainable development and consolidate peace in the region. Otuaro further revealed that President Tinubu and the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, have expressed satisfaction with the PAP’s peacebuilding and scholarship achievements under his leadership.

Earlier in the meeting, IYC President Doubra Okotete said the visit was to formally acknowledge the progress recorded by the Presidential Amnesty Programme in education and empowerment under Otuaro’s administration. He praised the Administrator for the judicious deployment of programme resources to expand access to quality education for Niger Delta youths and affirmed the Council’s readiness to deepen collaboration with the PAP.

In his closing remarks, Otuaro emphasised that lasting peace and stability in the Niger Delta can only be achieved through collective commitment by all stakeholders across the region.

The engagement underscores the growing synergy between the Presidential Amnesty Programme and key youth and community organizations in the Niger Delta as the country approaches the next electoral cycle.