The Joint Action Committee of Northern Youth Associations (JACON) has strongly condemned the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) decision to zone its 2027 presidential ticket to the South. Speaking at a press conference in Kaduna on Tuesday, JACON labeled the move as unfair, undemocratic, and a betrayal of the North’s long-standing loyalty and support for the party. The group warned that this decision could lead to serious repercussions for the PDP in the upcoming elections, accusing the party of politically marginalizing the Northern region.

JACON emphasized that the North has been a critical pillar in the PDP’s electoral successes since 1999, yet the region has only occupied the presidency for a mere two and a half years, while the South has held the position for thirteen and a half years during the party’s tenure. The group argued that this historical imbalance illustrates how the North has been shortchanged, and the party’s intention to zone the presidential ticket back to the South in 2027 amounts to a deliberate exclusion of the North from national leadership.

The committee stressed that principles of fairness and equity demand the return of the PDP’s presidential ticket to the North to allow the region to complete its share of leadership in the country. JACON described the North as a political “beast of burden,” bearing the responsibility of securing votes for the party but being denied equitable leadership opportunities. The group warned that if this injustice remains unaddressed, they will mobilize their structures to respond decisively during the elections.

In response to the PDP’s zoning decision, JACON announced plans to hold an emergency meeting with all its affiliates to develop a comprehensive strategy to counter the arrangement. The youth organization also urged Northern political, traditional, and religious leaders to oppose what they termed a blatant act of exclusion, declaring that “the time for silent acquiescence is over.”

The statement at the press briefing was signed by Ambassador Sanin Yaya, JACON’s Director of Media and Public Affairs.