Former National Youth Leader of the African Democratic Congress, Maurice Oru Ebam, has approached the Federal High Court in Abuja over the administration of the 2026 National Youth Confab, while announcing an alternative summit for young Nigerians on November 11.
Ebam said the move was aimed at promoting fairness, transparency and wider participation in national youth engagement.
In a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja, the lawyer said young Nigerians with the requisite qualifications and experience should have a fair opportunity to contribute to national development, irrespective of their political connections.
He said his court action sought clarification on the administrative process governing participation in the confab organised by the Federal Ministry of Youth Development.
The proceedings reportedly include an application for judicial review and a request for an order of mandamus, with Ebam citing relevant provisions of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
The legal questions are before the court, and no determination of the issues has been established in the information provided.
Ebam said the concerns centred on the criteria for selecting participants and whether the process reflected the ministry’s stated commitment to inclusion and non-partisanship.
He noted that the Minister of Youth Development had described the confab as a national platform for Nigerians aged 18 to 35.
Born on October 3, 1992, Ebam falls within the stated age bracket. He said his experience in youth leadership, political party administration and legal advocacy should qualify him for fair consideration.
The lawyer is a former National Youth Leader of the African Democratic Congress and the Allied Peoples Movement. He also served as interim chairman and national legal adviser of the Forum of National Youth Leaders of Political Parties in Nigeria.
His other positions include national legal adviser of Nigerian Youths in Politics and chairman of the ADC Cross River State Disciplinary Committee.
Ebam said the selection of participants for a national youth platform should be guided by transparent criteria rather than perceptions of political influence.
“I represent the sons and daughters of nobody,” he said.
“I represent the young Nigerians who have qualifications, ideas, experience and the desire to contribute to national development but are often overlooked because they have no political godfather.”
He questioned the need for young people to rely on influential contacts to gain access to platforms designed to discuss their future.
“Why should a qualified young Nigerian have to know somebody before somebody recognises their qualifications? Why should political connections matter more than the principles of fairness, transparency and inclusion?” he asked.
Ebam said young Nigerians without influential political sponsors should not be discouraged from participating in public affairs.
“I refuse to believe that the absence of a godfather should become a barrier to participation in our national life,” he said.
“We may not have the strongest connections, but we have ideas, experience, courage and the right to be heard.”
He said he would continue to pursue his concerns through lawful and democratic channels.
The former youth leader called on the ministry to clarify the requirements for participation in the confab and make the selection process transparent.
“The purpose of a national youth platform should be to bring young Nigerians together, not to create the impression that access belongs only to those who are politically connected,” he said.
Ebam also announced the National Youth Alternative Confab 2026, tagged the Underdogs’ Summit, scheduled for November 11 at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja.
The event, themed “Rise of the Underdogs” and bearing the motto “We Shall Emerge!”, is intended to provide a platform for young Nigerians seeking greater opportunities to contribute to national discussions.
The alternative gathering is expected to focus on youth participation, representation and the need to ensure that young people have opportunities to contribute their ideas and experience to national development.
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