The National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) has rejected the recent withdrawal of its registration certificate by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and the appointment of an interim management committee by the Federal Ministry of Youth Development (FMYD), describing the move as unlawful and a violation of a subsisting court judgment.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the President of the Council, Ambassador Sukubo Sara-Igbe Sukubo, maintained that the current leadership of the NYCN remains legitimate and recognized by law, citing a 2022 Federal High Court judgment that upheld the Council’s Certificate of Incorporation and affirmed his leadership as valid.
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According to him, the decision of the CAC and FMYD to withdraw the certificate and constitute a new management team directly contravenes the judgment of Justice D.U. Okorowo of the Federal High Court in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1553/2022: Incorporated Trustees of the National Youth Council of Nigeria & 4 Ors vs Corporate Affairs Commission & 3 Ors.
Amb. Sukubo noted that the case is currently under appeal at the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, with both the CAC and FMYD listed as respondents. He warned that any administrative actions taken while the matter is before the appellate court amount to contempt of court.
“The law is clear that no individual, group, or government agency has the power to override or preempt the decisions of a competent court of law,” the statement read. “The current actions by the Registrar-General of the CAC and the Honourable Minister of Youth Development constitute a resort to self-help and an affront to judicial authority.”
The NYCN president urged all state chapters, zonal leaders, affiliate bodies, and Nigerian youths to disregard any publication or announcement purporting to dissolve or suspend the current leadership of the Council.
He emphasized that the leadership under his watch remains “sacrosanct, legitimate, and binding both in law and in fact,” until the appeal court rules otherwise.
Amb. Sukubo further called on members to remain calm and law-abiding while continuing to align with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, aimed at promoting youth inclusion and national development.
