The Nasarawa State Government has dismissed a petition filed by 43-year-old Jaafar Mohammed, who is seeking to halt the scheduled May 10 election of the National Youth Council of Nigeria, NYCN, Nasarawa State Chapter.
Mohammed, a graduate of the FCT College of Education and former factional chairman of the Council, wrote to Governor Abdullahi Sule, insisting that he remains the legitimate chairman, having been elected in 2022 for a four-year tenure.
In his petition, he described the February 7, 2025, dissolution of the State Executive Council (SEC) and the appointment of a caretaker committee led by Comrade John Solomon Damina as illegal and morally questionable.
Mohammed alleged that the action, taken in line with directives from the NYCN national headquarters, ignored his existing mandate and was provoked by unresolved internal factionalism. However, he stated that he and his colleagues chose to remain calm in the interest of peace and order.
Responding to the petition, the Public Relations Officer of the Nasarawa State Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, Eche Amos, dismissed Mohammed’s claims, describing the petition as baseless and misleading.
The state government reiterated that the Damina-led caretaker committee was constituted based on a directive from the NYCN national headquarters.
A letter dated July 11, 2024, and addressed to Governor Sule, introduced Comrade Damina as the acting chairman pending a substantive electoral congress.
The letter, signed by NYCN President, Ambassador Sukube Sara-Igbe Sukubo, stated that the move was aimed at restoring proper leadership and unity within the state chapter of the Council after protracted internal divisions.
Despite Mohammed’s claims, preparations for the May 10 election are ongoing, with the Ministry affirming its commitment to a transparent and peaceful process.
