Youth Council elects new leadership, expels former President

By Yemi Itodo

For almost ten years after its last convention in Abuja, the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), has successfully held a convention, where new leadership emerged.

The unity convention which lasted for 6 days in Gombe State, ended Tuesday morning with the election of Comrade Bello Bala Shagari from Sokoto state as the National President.

The congress had, during a business session Monday night, passed a resolution for the expulsion of the immediate past President, Comrade Murtala Muhammad and also barred him from being recognised as former President of the Council.

Muhammad, popularly known as ‘Ganji’, was said to have written to the Ministry of Sports and Youths Development, dubiously extending his tenure as caretaker committee chairman by four years, the position, the Honourable Minister, Barr. Solomon Dalung, the Board of Trustees and various organs of NYCN frowned at.

One of the affiliates of the Council, Centre for African Development and Advocacy (CADA) was also delisted from the Voluntary Youths Organisations (VYOs) by the resolution of the congress, for dragging the Council severally to different courts over “needless issues”.

The congress also overwhelmingly adopted the BoT of NYCN under the leadership of Amb (Dr.) Dickson Akoh and its Advisory Council led by Hon. Ben Duntoye.

Out of 104 affiliate VYOs, only 99 participated with 3 representatives each, while 5 delegates were accredited from each of the 36 states of the federation, including the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

The 20-man National Transition Committee led by Mayor Enujeko also participated in the election, bringing it to a total of 500 delegates accredited for the congress.

A total of 3 aspirants were screened for the position of National President, but one Blessing Akinlosotu announced his withdrawal from the race during the election, making Comrade Bello Bala Shagari to lead with a total of 249 votes and his opponent Almustapha Atuku (Kogi) with 234 votes, while 15 votes were cancelled.

The list of new officials are as follows.

1. National President – Bello Bala Shagari
2. Deputy National President – Innocent Uduanya Nwobodo
3. Vice President (North Central) – Pwajok Sele Sesan
4. Vice President (North West) – Lukman Majidadi Bisallah
5. Vice President (North East) – Muhammad Suhailu Abubakar
6. Vice President (South East) – Echem Ikeh Chibuike
7. Vice President (South West) – Saliu Marufdeen Adekunke
8. Vice President (South South) – Kinsley Ibanichuka
9. National Treasurer – Uko Michael Ukpong
10. National Legal Adviser – Barr. Ahmad Tahir Daramola
11. National Organizing Secretary – Jeba Muktar Sani
12. National PRO – Awujoola Kehinde Charity
13. National Social Secretary – Umoru Millicent Emike
14. National Financial Secretary – Eniola Temitope Adeyemi
15. Assistant Secretary General – Odunze Caleb Eberechukwu
16. Organizing Secretary (South East) – Agwucha Izunna Koka Chidirue
17. Organizing Secretary (North East) – Adamu Hussein Yunusa
18. Organizing Secretary (South South) – Avwoke Chriton
19. Organizing Secretary (North Central) – Yerima Muhammad Muhammad
20. Organizing Secretary (South West) – Williams Oladipupo Oluwaseun
21. Organizing Secretary (North West) – Aminu Ubale Funtua

The offices of National Secretary and National Auditor were not occupied as no one contested for the positions.

Trouble, however, started when, one of the VYOs, Liberty Club International protested that its 3 delegates were not allowed to cast votes, despite been accredited.

Our correspondent gathered that, the reason for disenfranchising the youth body was not unconnected to the fact that, the total number of votes cast would have exceeded the number of accredited voters, with the 3 supposed votes from the organisation.

Despite the protest, the Chairman of Electoral Committee, Lamir Aminu went ahead with the process and returned Shagari as elected.

The 21 officers who were returned at the congress have since been sworn-in by the Chief Registrar of Gombe State, Abdulsalam Alexander Jatau.

Addressing newsmen shortly after the swearing-in ceremony, Shagari thanked his colleagues for the matured way they conducted themselves during the congress, while pledging to do all within his powers to unite stakeholders and bringing end to factions in the Council.