Thousands of Nigerian youths under the banner of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) on Thursday staged a massive protest at the national headquarters of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) in Abuja, over the deregistration of the Youth Council by the commission.
The protesters, led by the NYCN National President, Ambassador Sukubo Sara-Igbe Sukubo, barricaded major access roads leading to the CAC headquarters and shut down its main entrance. They carried placards with various inscriptions, waved the flags of the Youth Council, and chanted solidarity songs to express their displeasure over what they described as an “unjust and politically motivated” decision.
Addressing journalists during the protest, Sukubo accused the Registrar-General of the CAC, Hussaini Ishaq Magaji (SAN), of unlawfully deregistering the Youth Council despite a valid court judgment affirming its legal status.
He warned that the decision could have far-reaching consequences on national stability, describing it as “a national security threat capable of causing serious unrest among Nigerian youths if not urgently reversed.”
“The deregistration of the National Youth Council of Nigeria is not just illegal; it is provocative. The NYCN is the legitimate umbrella body for all youth organisations in the country, recognised by law and by successive administrations. Any attempt to erase it undermines the voice and unity of the Nigerian youth,” Sukubo stated.
Also speaking, the immediate past Secretary-General of the NYCN, Abubakar Suleiman, accused the CAC Registrar-General of working against the interests of the Federal Government. He alleged that the delisting of the Youth Council amounted to an act of sabotage against President Bola Tinubu’s administration, which has consistently emphasised youth empowerment and inclusion.
“The action of the CAC Registrar-General is a direct affront to the President’s renewed hope agenda for Nigerian youths. This decision violates a subsisting court order and disrespects the democratic rights of millions of young Nigerians represented by the NYCN,” Suleiman said.
Responding to the protesters, the CAC Acting Registrar-General and Director of Customer Service, Mr. Julius Hanga, assured the demonstrators that their grievances would be addressed through due process. He appealed for calm, urging the Youth Council to exercise patience as the matter was being reviewed.
He said, “The Commission is aware of your concerns and is taking steps to ensure that this issue is resolved lawfully and in the interest of all stakeholders.”
The protest, which caused heavy traffic gridlock around the Maitama district of Abuja, drew attention from civil society groups, youth organisations, and security agencies, who were on ground to ensure order.
The NYCN, established by law in 1964, serves as the umbrella body for youth organisations across Nigeria and has been instrumental in policy advocacy, youth development programmes, and national unity campaigns. The controversy over its deregistration has sparked widespread reactions, with many calling on the Federal Government to intervene and restore the council’s legal standing.
