From Umar Sani, Bauchi
The National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) has zoned its national presidency to the northern region of the country.
This was disclosed by a member of the Council’s Board of Trustees and former Chairman of the Northern Forum of the NYCN, Abubakar Tafawa-Balewa, during a stakeholders’ meeting convened in Bauchi on Wednesday.
Tafawa-Balewa, who released a communiqué after the meeting on Thursday said the gathering had in attendance stakeholders from the region, including members of the Council’s National Transition Committee (NTC) and the Congress Planning Committee.
He explained that the decision was taken to restore order to the Council, which he said had been in disarray for several years due to the activities of factions claiming leadership positions.
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“The Council has been in limbo for a long time, and we feel this is the right time to put things in order. It has been the tradition of the Council that after every three or four years, we go for a convention. But the current person parading himself as president has been there for almost seven years without a proper election,” Tafawa-Balewa said.
He alleged that the purported president assumed office without due process, claiming the position was handed to him by his predecessor who resigned.
Tafawa-Balewa faulted the age of some individuals leading the Council, insisting that the NYCN Constitution clearly defines youth as persons between 18 and 35 years.
“It is an aberration of the Constitution to see people in their 40s and 50s parading themselves as youth leaders. Because of the lacuna created by the manipulation of the Council’s Constitution, we have resolved to continue using the 2012 Constitution, which sets the age limit for participation at 15 to 35,” he added.
The NYCN chieftain stressed that only the supervisory ministry has the authority to call the factions to order, expressing optimism that the forthcoming convention would silence dissenting voices and restore credibility to the Council.
On the issue of zoning, Tafawa-Balewa argued that although the Nigerian Constitution does not explicitly provide for rotational leadership, political parties and groups often adopt the practice to foster unity and inclusivity.
“In the spirit of oneness and brotherhood, the southern part of the country has ceded the presidency to the North. We hope and pray that at the end of the exercise, we will produce the best of our best,” he stated.
He also noted that most affiliates of the Council are based in the South due to historical factors, pointing out that youth organisations in the North were underdeveloped at the time of the Council’s establishment in 1963.
Tafawa-Balewa appealed to the Federal Government to give youths more space in governance, saying their involvement is key to national progress.
“We reaffirm our commitment to greater youth inclusiveness in governance and decision-making. We call on governments at all levels and development partners to engage young people more actively in policy formulation, peacebuilding, and national development,” Tafawa-Balewa stated.
The communiqué also lauded the North-East Governors’ Forum for their interventions in education, youth empowerment, insecurity, and regional integration, urging them to sustain and expand their partnership with the Federal Government.
PUNCH reports that resolutions reached as revealed by the communiqué include: endorsement of the October Congress and full participation in the NYCN National Congress billed for Abuja in October 2025, with a pledge to support a transparent and credible process. The Zone stated that it had not presented any candidate for elective positions but resolved to align with the most competent, credible, and visionary candidate, particularly from the North.
The communiqué further disclosed that a vote of confidence was passed on President Tinubu, commending his Renewed Hope Agenda, while the Minister of State for Youth was applauded for uniting Nigerian youths and initiating the National Youth Academy.
They stressed the need to safeguard the NYCN as the authentic umbrella body of over 40 million Nigerian youths.
