Youth Council in Nasarawa Distances Itself from Planned Summit, Insists Jaafar Loko Remains Chair
The National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Nasarawa State Chapter, has publicly distanced itself from a proposed Youth Summit allegedly being organized by Solomon Damina, stating that he is not recognized as the caretaker chairman of the Council in the state.
In a statement issued on Saturday and signed by its Publicity Secretary, Musa S. I. Danka, the Council described the planned summit as unauthorized and urged members of the public, particularly youths in Nasarawa State, to disregard the event.
The statement reaffirmed that Comrade Jaafar Muhammad Loko remains the duly elected Chairman of the NYCN in Nasarawa State, adding that his leadership had been affirmed by what it described as an order of a competent court.
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The Council also raised concerns over the role of the Nasarawa State Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Hon. Kwanta Yakubu, alleging that his actions had contributed to confusion within the state’s youth leadership.
According to the NYCN, the Commissioner has failed to recognize existing legal pronouncements regarding the Council’s leadership, despite an ongoing court process and reconciliation efforts initiated by Governor Abdullahi A. Sule.
“The restraint demonstrated by the Jaafar-led executive is in respect of the pending court proceedings and the Governor’s intervention aimed at restoring peace within the youth leadership,” the statement said.
The Council further claimed that the Governor’s reconciliation initiative risked being undermined by actions it believes are driven by personal interests rather than adherence to due process.
It said it had repeatedly alerted relevant authorities to the situation but expressed disappointment that, in its view, no decisive action had been taken to resolve the dispute.
As a result, the NYCN advised government agencies, civil society organisations, development partners and members of the public not to associate the proposed Youth Summit with the National Youth Council of Nigeria.
It also called on the organisers of the event to operate under their own organisational platform instead of presenting themselves as representatives of the NYCN.
The Council maintained that it would continue to pursue lawful means to protect what it described as the legitimate leadership of the organisation and ensure that constitutional procedures are respected.
It further stated that it would resist any attempt to use government institutions for personal interests or to disseminate information that could mislead Governor Abdullahi A. Sule or the public regarding the Council’s leadership.
Reaffirming its commitment to unity, the NYCN said it has consistently operated without tribal, religious or sectional considerations, describing itself as an inclusive platform representing all young people across Nasarawa State.
The Council added that it is developing a strategic action plan ahead of the 2027 general elections aimed at promoting peaceful political participation, youth engagement and violence-free electioneering campaigns across the state.
Our Correspondent reports that as of the time of filing this report, there was no immediate response from Solomon Damina or the Nasarawa State Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Hon. Kwanta Yakubu, regarding the allegations contained in the NYCN statement.
The leadership dispute within the Nasarawa State chapter of the NYCN remains a subject of legal proceedings, while stakeholders continue to await the outcome of reconciliation efforts and the court process.
