The Renewed Hope Youth Development Initiative (RHYDEI), a youth support group campaigning for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election, has pledged to mobilise 20 million votes for the President in the 2027 general elections.
The group also announced plans to partner with Federal Government agencies to provide skills, grants and loans to at least one million young Nigerians before the election.
The National Coordinator of RHYDEI, Prince Abayomi Johnson Odeniran, announced this at the official unveiling of the initiative and the inauguration of its 36 state and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) coordinators in Abuja at the weekend.
Odeniran said the group would establish a network of 10,000 trained youth ambassadors across the country to promote and explain the administration’s programmes and achievements in communities, markets and on social media.
He said RHYDEI would take the Renewed Hope message to every ward across the 774 local government areas, adding that the group would work both online and offline to mobilise support for Tinubu’s second-term bid.
‘RHYDEI will partner with Federal Government agencies to ensure that at least one million young people benefit from skills, grants and loans before the 2027 election. We will show them that Renewed Hope is working,’ he said.
Odeniran urged young Nigerians to reject vote-buying and make informed choices during the election, while cautioning politicians against exploiting religion and ethnicity to influence voters.
‘We seek balance, not extremes. We don’t like religious fanaticism. We believe God is love, peace and fairness,’ he said.
‘We hate it when religion is used to fight, judge or create confusion. For us, religion must bring peace, not conflict and violent extremism.’
The RHYDEI leader also pledged that the group would defend Tinubu against what he described as propaganda and attempts to discredit the President, particularly over the ongoing 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York.
‘We will not allow anyone to use dollars or propaganda to pull the President down. We are his foot soldiers. Online and offline, we will stand by and defend him,’ he said.
He commended the President for the removal of fuel subsidy and other economic measures which, according to him, had helped to stabilise the economy and create opportunities for young Nigerians.
The initiative was launched under the theme, ‘Consolidating Renewed Hope: Youths Standing for Tinubu 2027.’
The 2027 Presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, 2027, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).