Thousands of young Nigerians, under the banner of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), on Thursday thronged the headquarters of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) in Abuja to protest what they described as the unlawful withdrawal of the council’s registration.
Led by the NYCN President, Ambassador Sukubo Sara-Igbe Sukubo, the visibly agitated youths accused the CAC Registrar-General, Hussaini Ishaq Magaji (SAN), of “blatant disregard for the rule of law” by delisting the council despite an ongoing legal case challenging such action.
Speaking during the protest, the NYCN Secretary-General, Barrister Abubakar Suleiman, faulted the decision, describing it as “a gross abuse of office and a direct affront to President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.”
According to him, the Federal High Court had earlier ruled that the CAC lacked the authority to deregister the council, a judgment which the commission allegedly ignored.
“We are here to say no to impunity and lawlessness. The Registrar-General must go. His actions are undermining the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda,” Suleiman said.
“There is a pending appeal before the Court of Appeal, yet the CAC went ahead to delist us and install an illegal interim committee. We will continue this protest for 30 days if necessary until justice is served.”
The NYCN leadership also accused the CAC boss of questionable recruitment practices and administrative irregularities, alleging that his conduct had plunged the commission into crisis.
As the protest intensified, security operatives were seen stationed around the CAC complex to forestall a breakdown of law and order. The demonstrators, numbering over 3,000, reportedly blocked the main access roads to the commission’s premises, chanting solidarity songs and carrying placards demanding the reinstatement of the NYCN’s registration.
The protest followed recent developments in which the CAC announced the withdrawal of NYCN’s registration and the constitution of an interim management committee to oversee its affairs—a move that the council insists is both illegal and politically motivated.
At the time of filing this report, the CAC management had yet to issue an official response to the allegations levelled by the NYCN leadership.
