The protest followed the council’s recent national convention, where its president was re-elected. Days after the election, the Federal Ministry of Youth announced the council’s deregistration, despite pending court cases on the matter. Protesters barricaded access roads to the commission’s headquarters, waving flags and displaying placards with messages condemning the decision as illegal and politically motivated.
The council’s president described the deregistration as a threat to national security and accused certain government appointees of sabotaging the administration’s agenda. He emphasized that the matter was already before the Court of Appeal and questioned why the commission took unilateral action. The protesters vowed to continue demonstrations for 30 days, calling for the registrar-general’s removal and the council’s reinstatement.
Other youth leaders echoed these sentiments, labeling the deregistration as unlawful and an affront to Nigeria’s judicial system. They warned of nationwide protests until their demands were met.
In response, a representative from the commission stated that the deregistration was temporary, intended to allow time for resolving outstanding issues, and assured that the council would eventually be reinstated.
The protesters remained adamant, insisting that the registrar-general’s actions were unacceptable and vowing to escalate demonstrations across the country until justice was served.