The Joint Action Committee of Northern Youth Associations (JACON) has strongly opposed the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) decision to zone its 2027 presidential ticket to the South, describing the move as unjust, undemocratic, and a betrayal of the North’s longstanding support for the party.
Speaking at a press conference in Kaduna on Tuesday, JACON warned that the zoning decision could have serious repercussions for the PDP in the forthcoming elections.
The group emphasized that despite the North being pivotal to the PDP’s electoral successes since 1999, it has only held the presidency for a mere two and a half years, compared to the South’s thirteen and a half years under the party’s leadership.
“It is an indisputable historical fact that during PDP’s 16-year rule, the North was marginalized. While the South enjoyed over a decade in power, the North barely had a fraction of that. Zoning the 2027 ticket to the South is a calculated move to further sideline our region,” JACON said in its statement.
Arguing that equity and fairness demand the 2027 ticket be returned to the North, the group insisted that the region deserves the opportunity to complete its fair share of leadership within the party.
“The North can no longer remain the political workhorse of a party that capitalizes on its votes yet denies it leadership. If this injustice continues, we will activate our structures to respond decisively at the polls,” the group warned.
JACON also announced plans to convene an emergency summit of all its affiliated organizations to develop a “comprehensive strategy” to challenge the PDP’s zoning policy.
The group urged Northern political, traditional, and religious leaders to speak out against what it termed “a blatant act of exclusion,” stressing that “the era of passive acceptance is over.”
The statement was signed by Ambassador Sanin Yaya, JACON’s Director of Media and Public Affairs.
