A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has nullified the takeover of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).
The presiding judge in the case, Justice Binta Nyako ordered the immediate restoration of NYCN’s registration and the reinstatement of Sukubo Sara-Igbe and other members of its Board of Trustees.
Delivering judgment on Friday, June 19, 2026, Justice Nyako declared the Interim Management Committee led by Buhari Shehu as unlawful.
Recall that the committee was appointed by CAC and the Ministry of Youth Development on Tuesday, October 7, 2025.
This a day after the CAC withdrew NYCN’s certificate of registration that was issued on Wednesday, October 28, 2020.
Justice Nyako held that CAC, as a regulatory agency, lacks the statutory powers to determine the tenure of leaders of an organisation or to constitute an Interim Management Committee for any registered association.
She ruled that the commission exceeded its authority when it deregistered NYCN and subsequently set up a caretaker arrangement for the council.
The court directed the CAC to immediately restore NYCN’s certificate, recognize Sukubo and other duly registered trustees as the legitimate BoT leadership, and dissolve the Interim Management Committee established by the commission.
The judge noted that disputes relating to NYCN’s trusteeship and leadership structure were already before courts of competent jurisdiction, including the Court of Appeal.
She said administrative bodies must exercise caution to avoid prejudicing ongoing proceedings.
“Parties are hereby directed to maintain the position existing before the CAC and Ministry of Youths Development intervention pending determination and decision of the dispute currently before the Court of Appeal,” Justice Nyako ordered.