Stakeholders of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) from the Northwest zone have adopted the Kebbi State chairman of the council, Comrade Ahmad Rufai Khalifa, as their consensus candidate for the position of national president.
The adoption was announced at a consultative meeting in Kaduna, which brought together key actors from across the zone, including state chairmen, members of the National Transition Committee (NTC), Electoral Committee (ELECO), Constitution Review Committee (CRC), voluntary youth organisations, and former national executives of the group
In a communiqué jointly signed by the convener, Engr. Sale Alhassan Kubah and chairman of the Drafting Committee, Comrade Abdullahi Garba Amne, the forum said the decision followed wide consultations aimed at fostering unity, fairness, and cohesion within the council.
“After extensive deliberations, the zone unanimously adopted Comrade Ahmad Rufai Khalifa, the NYCN chairman of Kebbi State, as its consensus candidate for the position of national president,” the communiqué stated.
The forum appreciated the Southern region’s leaders for ceding the presidency to the North, describing the gesture as a mark of patriotism and commitment to national unity.
“We commend the Southern NYCN stakeholders for their spirit of fairness and national cohesion in allowing the North to produce the next president of the council,” the statement added.
The stakeholders also aligned with the position of the Minister of Youth Development, Comrade Ayodele Olawale, that only candidates under the age of 35 would be eligible to contest for the presidency, in accordance with the NYCN constitution.
They resolved to adopt the 2012 NYCN constitution as the working document for the upcoming elective congress, which is scheduled for October 7, 2025, in Abuja.
The forum also backed a single four-year tenure for all elective positions in the council and agreed to convene an expanded reconciliation meeting of NYCN leaders and youth organisations from all 19 Northern states ahead of the congress.
