The Joint Action Committee of Northern Youth Associations (JACON) has faulted the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) decision to zone its 2027 presidential ticket to the South, branding the move as unjust, undemocratic, and a betrayal of the North’s long-standing loyalty to the party. Speaking at a press briefing in Kaduna on Tuesday, JACON warned that the PDP’s decision amounted to political marginalization and could have “grave consequences” for the party in the upcoming elections. The group argued that despite being the backbone of the PDP’s electoral victories since 1999, the North has only produced a president for two and a half years, compared to the South’s thirteen and a half years under PDP administrations. “It is undeniable historical fact that the North was shortchanged during PDP’s 16 years in power. While the South dominated the presidency for over a decade, the North barely had two and a half years. To now zone the ticket back to the South in 2027 is a deliberate attempt to permanently sideline the region,” JACON stated. JACON insisted that fairness and equity require the PDP to return the presidential ticket to the North, stressing that the region deserves the chance to complete its share of leadership. “The North can no longer continue to be the political beast of burden for a party that only uses its votes but denies it leadership. If this injustice is not corrected, we will mobilize our entire structures to respond appropriately at the polls,” the statement read. The committee further disclosed plans to convene an emergency meeting of all its affiliate organizations to map out a “comprehensive strategy” against the PDP’s zoning decision. It also urged Northern political, traditional, and religious leaders to resist what it termed “a brazen act of exclusion,” declaring that “the time for silent acquiescence is over.” The statement was signed by Ambassador Sanin Yaya, JACON’s Director of Media and Public Affairs.