The National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) has staged a major protest at the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) headquarters in Abuja, opposing the withdrawal of its registration and accusing the commission of political interference and legal violations.
NYCN National President, Sukubo Sara-Igbe Sukubo, strongly condemned the deregistration, describing it as “a clear disregard of a subsisting Federal High Court ruling” that remains in favor of the council. He explained that the case is currently before the Court of Appeal and alleged that the CAC’s action disrupted an ongoing judicial process.
Sukubo accused the Registrar General of CAC, Ishaq Magaji, of abusing his office and undermining the rule of law. He warned that the move could pose a threat to national security, given the NYCN’s position as the official representative body of millions of Nigerian youths. “This is an attempt to silence the voice of Nigerian youths,” he said, calling on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immediately remove Magaji from office.
The council also urged Senate President Godswill Akpabio and National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu to intervene in the matter, stressing that the issue has wider implications for youth participation in governance. Protesters at the CAC headquarters vowed to maintain their demonstration for up to one month or until their demands are met. The event featured speeches from Sukubo and former NYCN Secretary, Barrister Abubakar Suleiman, both of whom criticized the deregistration as “unlawful and politically motivated.”
Meanwhile, a closed-door meeting between NYCN representatives and CAC officials ended without a clear resolution. Julius Anga, CAC’s Director of Customer Service and Acting Registrar General, described the meeting as “constructive” but confirmed that the deregistration stands. According to him, the decision followed an internal investigation that led to the suspension of NYCN’s trustees and the appointment of an interim management team.
Anga explained that the interim arrangement would last for one year, after which the situation would be reviewed. “Our investigation revealed multiple governance issues, and the suspension will remain in place for twelve months pending full compliance,” he said.
Reacting to the outcome, Sukubo criticized the commission’s stance, saying it disregarded both court orders and previous calls for dialogue. He maintained that the CAC lacked the authority to suspend the council’s trustees while the matter was still in court. “No institution has the right to override a court ruling,” he stated, describing the meeting as a deadlock, with the commission refusing to acknowledge the ongoing legal proceedings.
The protest continues as both sides hold their positions, with the NYCN insisting that the deregistration was illegal and politically driven.