In what looks like the replicate of the crisis in the Nigeria
Governors’ Forum (NGF), the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) has
also been factionalised with allegations and counter-allegations of
underhand dealings between the presidency, ministry of Youth Affairs and
a section of the umbrella youth organisation.
The congress of the NYCN, which took place in Makurdi, Benue State,
was held in contravention of a subsisting Federal High Court in Lagos
order dated May 20, 2013, obtained by one Henry Nwabueze to stop the
election of new officers.
The position of the NYCN president is now enmeshed in controversy as
two individuals lay claims to the office: the incumbent James Olawale
Ajani and Yakubu Shendam who was said to have emerged at the Benue
congress between May 24 and 26, 2013.
In an interview with LEADERSHIP yesterday, Ajani claimed that there
was no election at the Benue congress, and that it was a charade
superintended by the minister of youths affairs, Mr Inuwa Abdulkadir.
He said the minister openly told him to forget re-election and that the order came “from the above”.
“The honourable minister continued to persuade me to jettison the
election for his candidate claimed to have come from the presidency. He
said that he had been mandated by the presidency to deliver Yakubu
Shemdan, a personal assistant to the PDP chairman, Alhaji Bamanga
Turkur,” Ajani said.
He said he was invited to a meeting at the Benue State Government
House in Makurdi by the minister during the ill-fated congress where he
asked him to go and drop his ambition because his (minister’s) hands
were tied.
He said while the initial congress billed to hold in Akure was
cancelled because of “security reports”, the Benue congress was
eventually fixed by the minister. He further stated that, during their
meeting with the minister, he said they all agreed in principle and the
congress planning committee started planning for the congress in Benue.
“We arrived in Benue on May 24 only to be served with a court order
to stop the election. But the minister insisted that the congress should
go on. But I was advised by the incorporated trustees of the youth body
to call off the congress in line with the court order. Meanwhile, at
the venue they were sharing money to the people to ensure that the
minister’s candidate emerged,” he said.
He said in compliance with the court order, they left the venue only
for the minister and his people to turn around and announce Shendam as
the new NYCN president.
Ajani also revealed that, prior to the recent shenanigans that
produced Shendam, an ex-militant, Asari Dokubo, had been threatening him
to drop his ambition and support one Henry Nwabueze, saying they
couldn’t support him because he was working for ACN and Tinubu.
Meanwhile, Shendam has denied all allegations by Ajani, saying there
was a free and fair election in Benue. He said Ajani was disqualified
based on age discrepancies on his official documents which suggest that
he is above 35 years of age.
“My brother, you know in an election the loser will always complain
of malpractice. But there was an election and I won the election as the
new president of the council.
Leadership
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