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 Saraigbe Sukubo, following a recent court judgment affirming his position.
The stakeholders, comprising members of the NYCN Advisory Council, Board of Trustees (BOT), the five Southeast State Chairmen and 37 Volunteer Youth Organisations (VYOs), made their stand known during a Southeast Emergency Management meeting held on Sunday in Awka, Anambra State Capital.
Recall that Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court, Abuja, had last month in a judgement, restored the Sukubo-led national executive of the NYCN, and restored the Council’s Certificate of Incorporation withdrawn by the Federal Ministry of Youths and Sports.
The court further dissolved the Interim Management Committee set up by the Minister of Youths and Sports to oversee the affairs of the Council, reinstating Sukubo as the authentic National Chairman.
The Stakeholders in a communique 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, an Advisory member of the NYCN, and a former chairman of Enugu state chapter, said the South-East NYCN leaders are 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 NYCN stakeholders, the NYCN Deputy National President, Ambassador Innocent Nduanya explained that the meeting was necessitated by the recent court judgement reinstating Ambassador Sukubo and the need to step down the implication for the Southeast and Anambra NYCN.
He regretted that the Anambra NYCN Council has had witnessed so much backwardness in the recent past, noting that a lot of benefits which members of the Council had enjoyed had become elusive.
“Before now, the council has been able to produce appointees of the state government, among other things, to the development of Anambra youths. Unfortunately, the people we projected could not represent the interest of the youths.
“This meeting has also become important because some people have been operating as the leadership of NYCN without knowing that the CAC registration has been withdrawn by the Federal Ministry. The NYCN is a training ground for future leaders and it is worrisome how someone can still be parading himself as Chairman when the CAC has withdrawn his certificate of registration. Now someone who was expelled from Council at the Bayelsa Unity Congress conducted elections in the state, went ahead to produce new persons to stand for the Council. That is worrisome,” he said.
Nduanya, who noted that for the last six months that the legal battle lasted, the Council has been stagnant, expressed the hope that now that the court has restored the Sukubo-led leadership, they are set to move.
“At the national level, we are preparing for leadership training for members of NEC elected recently in Bayelsa. We also have other programmes we are planning in collaboration with some global partners.
“In this meeting, we have all the relevant stakeholders in the Southeast, and we want to set the records straight, that the authentic leadership of the NYCN in the state led by Comrade Ugochukwu Okoye is preparing for the 2026 Unity Congress.
“We are calling on all Anambra youths between the ages of 18-40 to participate. We are assuring them that the process will be free, fair and credible,” he promised.
Earlier, while welcoming the stakeholders, the NYCN Vice President, Southeast Zone, Ifeanyi Henry Atigwe emphasized the need to maintain peace during and after the upcoming NYCN congress, insisting that Anambra is critical to the vibrancy of the NYCN in the Southeast.
He expressed the hope that the Congress will entrench a vibrant youth council in the state, urging the current leadership of the Council to adhere to the existing zoning arrangement for the leadership positions.
Atigwe advised members and affiliate organizations of the Council to put the collective interest of the Council first above personal interests.
In their separate remarks, members of the NYCN Board of Trustees, Chief Herbert Aneke and Ambassador Chinyere Madukwem expressed delight that the court judgement has put to rest, the leadership crisis rocking the Council, and will propel growth in Council across the country, assuring that the entire Southeast is solidly backing the Sukubo-led leadership.
They reminded delegates in the upcoming Anambra Unity Congress to work towards addressing the rancour that has bedeviled the growth of Council in the state, stating that only a unified Council can make impact.
The emergency meeting also saw the appointment of former Anambra NYCN Chairman, Comrade Samuel Egwuatu, as the new Chairman of the Electoral Committee, ELECO, for the 2026 Anambra Unity Congress.
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