By Emmanuella Opara | November 12th 2026
KEY POINTS
- Ondo State Governor’s Special Adviser on Youth and Social Inclusion, Henry Okunomo, says he is mobilising 800,000 youths to support President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid.
- The mobilisation exercise is expected to cover all 18 local government areas of Ondo State.
- Okunomo commended Tinubu’s policies and Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s approach to youth inclusion.
- The aide said political mobilisation and sustained engagement had already begun.
MAIN STORY
The Ondo State Government’s Special Adviser on Youth and Social Inclusion, Henry Okunomo, has announced plans to mobilise 800,000 young people across the state in support of President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.
Okunomo said the mobilisation had commenced across Ondo State’s 18 local government areas, with the target group expected to participate in political activities and engagements supporting the President ahead of the next general election.
He disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday, in which he expressed support for Tinubu’s administration and commended its policies and initiatives aimed at increasing youth participation in governance.
According to the aide, young people in Ondo State recognise the Federal Government’s reforms as opportunities to contribute to national development.
He said the inclusion of youths in governance and opportunities provided through government programmes had encouraged young Nigerians to participate more actively in the country’s development.
Okunomo also praised Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, describing his leadership approach as youth-friendly and commending his administration’s commitment to youth inclusion.
He said cooperation between the Federal Government and the Ondo State Government was important for expanding opportunities for young people, supporting economic development and promoting sustainable progress.
The statement added that youths in the state were prepared to demonstrate their support through political mobilisation, active participation and sustained engagement ahead of the 2027 election.
“We have started already and our target is 800,000 youths across the state,” the statement said.
The aide maintained that the planned mobilisation reflected young people’s appreciation of leadership that recognised their potential and created opportunities for their participation.
He added that his office would continue to promote youth engagement, political participation and inclusion across Ondo State.
THE ISSUES
The proposed mobilisation raises questions about the scale and organisation of political support ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Although Okunomo announced a target of 800,000 youths across the state’s 18 local government areas, the statement did not provide details of the registration process, mobilisation structure or timeline for achieving the target.
It also did not explain how the 800,000 figure was determined or whether the target represents registered supporters, expected participants in campaign activities or potential voters.
The announcement is a declaration by a state government aide and does not establish that the targeted number of young people has already pledged support for Tinubu.
WHAT’S BEING SAID
“We have started already and our target is 800,000 youths across the state.”
Statement by Henry Okunomo, Special Adviser to the Ondo State Governor on Youth and Social Inclusion.
WHAT’S NEXT
Okunomo said his office would continue its youth engagement and political mobilisation activities across Ondo State ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
BOTTOM LINE
The Ondo State governor’s youth adviser has set an 800,000-person mobilisation target for Tinubu’s re-election campaign, but the statement provides no breakdown of how the target will be achieved or how many young people have so far been recruited.
