The General Assembly of the Carrington Youth Fellowship Alumni Network (CYFAN) has distanced itself from a recent publication by the Association’s Board of Trustees (BOT), declaring the communication unauthorised and misleading.

CYFAN is a network of alumni who have completed the Carrington Youth Fellowship Initiative (CYFI), a programme established by the U.S. Consulate in Lagos. While inspired by the legacy of the late Ambassador Walter Carrington, CYFAN clarified that it operates as an independent, self-governing entity under Nigerian law, with no formal affiliation to the Carrington family or its estate.

In a statement jointly signed by Dr. Azeezat Yishawu and Rhoda Robinson, Co-Chairpersons of the CYFAN Transitional Committee, the Assembly denounced attempts to undermine the integrity of the Association’s governance processes.  It categorically rejected the publication, which it believed had sought to discredit the Association’s immediate past president, Dr. Olusola Owonikoko, and described the allegations therein as unfounded.

Holding itself as the apex constituted authority of the Association, the General Assembly emphasised that any pronouncements made by the Board of Trustees (BOT), or by individuals claiming executive authority, were issued without its consent and hence should be considered null and void.

According to the statement, sustained efforts had been made to engage the BOT over concerns regarding unilateral decision-making and the purported suspension of Dr. Owonikoko. A position paper titled: ‘CYFAN Leadership: A Call for Dialogue and Due Process’ dated 27 January 2025, was among the documents submitted in pursuit of reconciliation. However, the Assembly claimed that these initiatives were met with hostility and culminated in the BOT’s move to suspend the former president.

In response, the Assembly issued a counter-document titled: ‘The Purported Suspension/Removal/Replacement of the President, Mr. Olusola Owonikoko by the Board of Trustees of CYFAN; Unconstitutional, Illegal and Void’, wherein it rejected the legitimacy of the BOT’s actions. The Assembly accused the Trustees of bypassing constitutional processes and attempting to install a new executive leadership without due consultation or mandate.

The General Assembly noted that despite repeated objections, the BOT proceeded to expel Dr. Owonikoko via email in February and unilaterally announced a new Executive Board—steps it considers unconstitutional.

It asserted that an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) was convened on March 1, 2025, to restore order. During the session, members voted to reject the purported appointments and constituted a Transition Committee to steer the organisation forward. It claimed that a formal vote of no confidence was also passed against the Board of Trustees, with recommendations for its dissolution.

Extolling Dr. Owonikoko for his contributions, which were described as instrumental in strengthening CYFAN’s mission and advancing youth development initiatives across Nigeria, the Assembly declared that the former president concluded his tenure in good standing. Substantiating this assertion, it disclosed that Dr. Owonikoko had submitted financial records from his term for both internal scrutiny and independent auditing. “To date, no evidence of financial impropriety has been discovered.” The U.S. Consulate, it added, has been kept informed of the developments.

The Assembly reaffirmed the Association’s commitment to transparency, democratic values, and youth empowerment and called upon all stakeholders to uphold the Association’s founding principle and support the current transition process. It further advised the public to rely solely on its official communication channels for accurate updates regarding the leadership transition and other organisational activities.