Uchenna Johnson
Awka
Stakeholders of the South-East Zone of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) have rallied support for the leadership of the Council’s President, Ambassador Sukubo Sara-Igbe Sukubo, following a recent court judgment affirming his position.
The stakeholders, comprising members of the NYCN Advisory Council, Board of Trustees (BOT), the five South-East State Chairmen and 37 Voluntary Youth Organisations (VYOs), made their stand known during a South-East Emergency Stakeholders’ Meeting held on Sunday in Awka, the Anambra State capital.
Recall that in its judgment in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/2142/2024, delivered on 5 June 2026, the Federal High Court, Abuja, presided over by Hon. Justice Binta F. M. Nyako, restored the Sukubo-led National Executive of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), reinstated the Council’s Certificate of Incorporation, which had earlier been withdrawn by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), and dissolved the Interim Management Committee established by the Federal Ministry of Youth Development to oversee the affairs of the Council, thereby reaffirming Ambassador Sukubo Sara-Igbe Sukubo as the duly recognized President of the National Youth Council of Nigeria.
The stakeholders, in a communiqué issued after the meeting, described the judgment as a victory for justice, due process and the rule of law, saying it had brought clarity and stability to the youth body.
Reading the resolution of the meeting to newsmen in the early hours of Monday, Ambassador Chinedu Temple Chika, a member of the NYCN Advisory Council and former Chairman of the Enugu State Chapter, said the South-East NYCN leaders were satisfied with the outcome of the judicial process, noting that the verdict would enable the Council to focus on its constitutional responsibility of promoting youth development, national unity and active participation of young people in nation-building.
They unanimously reaffirmed their confidence in Sukubo’s leadership and that of the National Executive Council (NEC), pledging their continued loyalty and support at the national, zonal, state and local government levels.
The stakeholders also appealed to members of the Council across the country to put aside past differences and embrace reconciliation in the interest of the organisation and Nigerian youths.
According to them, the time has come for members to close ranks, avoid distractions and work collectively towards building a stronger, more united and productive National Youth Council of Nigeria.
The South-East leaders further reaffirmed their commitment to promoting transparency, accountability, inclusiveness and constitutional governance within the Council, while pledging to continue collaborating with the national leadership in implementing programmes and policies aimed at improving the welfare and development of young Nigerians.
Addressing the stakeholders, the NYCN Deputy President, Ambassador Innocent Nduanya, explained that the meeting was necessitated by the recent court judgment reinstating Ambassador Sukubo Sara-Igbe Sukubo and the need to explain its implications for the South-East Zone and the Anambra State Chapter of the NYCN.
He regretted that the Anambra NYCN had witnessed significant setbacks in recent times, noting that many of the benefits previously enjoyed by members had become elusive.
“Before now, the Council had been able to produce appointees into the state government, among other contributions to the development of Anambra youths. Unfortunately, the people we projected could not represent the interests of the youths.
“This meeting has also become important because some people have been operating as the leadership of the NYCN without acknowledging that the Council’s Certificate of Incorporation had been withdrawn by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC). The NYCN is a training ground for future leaders, and it is worrisome that someone can still be parading himself as Chairman under such circumstances. Furthermore, someone who was expelled from the Council at the Bayelsa Unity Congress went ahead to conduct elections in the state and purportedly produced new leaders for the Council. That is worrisome,” he said.
Nduanya noted that the Council had remained largely stagnant during the six-month legal battle but expressed optimism that, with the court restoring the Sukubo-led leadership, the Council was now ready to move forward.
“At the national level, we are preparing leadership training for members of the National Executive Council elected recently in Bayelsa. We also have other programmes planned in collaboration with global partners.
“In this meeting, we have all the relevant stakeholders in the South-East, and we want to set the records straight that the authentic leadership of the NYCN in Anambra State, led by Comrade Ugochukwu Okoye, is preparing for the 2026 Unity Congress.
“We are calling on all Anambra youths between the ages of 18 and 40 to participate. We assure them that the process will be free, fair and credible,” he said.
Earlier, while welcoming the stakeholders, the NYCN Vice President, South-East Zone, Ifeanyi Henry Atigwe, emphasized the need to maintain peace during and after the upcoming NYCN Unity Congress, insisting that Anambra remains critical to the vibrancy of the Council in the South-East.
He urged members and affiliate organisations to place the collective interest of the Council above personal interests and encouraged the current leadership to adhere to the existing zoning arrangement for leadership positions.
In their separate remarks, members of the NYCN Board of Trustees, Chief Herbert Aneke and Ambassador Chinyere Madukwem, expressed delight that the court judgment had finally laid to rest the leadership crisis rocking the Council and would propel its growth across the country. They assured that the entire South-East remained solidly behind the Sukubo-led leadership.
They also urged delegates to the forthcoming Anambra Unity Congress to work towards resolving the rancour that has hindered the Council’s growth in the state, stressing that only a united Council can make meaningful impact.
The emergency meeting also witnessed the appointment of former Anambra NYCN Chairman, Comrade Samuel Egwuatu, as Chairman of the Electoral Committee (ELECO) for the 2026 Anambra Unity Congress.
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