Plateau minority group protests alleged political marginalisation by APC ahead of 2027

A coalition of minority ethnic communities in Plateau North Senatorial District has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of creating a political arrangement that could leave key elective and party positions in the zone concentrated in one ethnic community ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Victor Samson, secretary of the Plateau North Equity Project (PNEP), made the allegation on Tuesday at a press conference in Jos.

Mr Samson said the emerging arrangement could see the same community retain the Plateau North Senate seat and deputy governorship seat while also controlling the APC state chairmanship and two of the three House of Representatives seats for the district.

The PNEP renewed its campaign for what it described as an equitable, fair and just distribution of political offices among the constituent communities of Plateau North.

Plateau North comprises Bassa, Barkin Ladi, Jos East, Jos North, Jos South and Riyom local government areas.

PNEP said it represents minority ethnic communities predominantly located in Bassa, Jos East, Jos North, as well as the Ibaas and Ganawuri communities of Barkin Ladi and Riyom, respectively.

The group said its campaign was not aimed at denying any individual or community the right to contest elections, but at ensuring greater inclusion in the distribution of political opportunities.

“Our concern is not to question the right of any individual or community to aspire to political office,” Mr Samson said in the statement presented at the press conference at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Press Centre in Jos.

“Rather, we believe that where a political party or government has the opportunity to influence or zone offices, such opportunities should be used to promote fairness and a sense of inclusion among the constituent communities.”

Long-running complaint

Mr Samson said PNEP had previously engaged government officials and other political stakeholders on the issue before writing to Governor Caleb Mutfwang to seek his intervention.

He said the group also held meetings with members of what it described as the dominant community in the zone to secure their understanding of its concerns.

According to him, the group eventually held a press conference on 25 June after its efforts failed to produce the desired outcome.

PNEP said it had drawn the governor’s attention to what it described as a historical imbalance in the distribution of major political offices in Plateau North.

The group argued that political leadership in the zone had for years been concentrated in one community, leaving minority communities with limited representation.

“True democracy must be built on inclusion, balance and shared responsibility,” Mr Samson said.

The group said its concerns had become more urgent with the political realignments ahead of the 2027 elections.

APC positions

PNEP said the zoning of the APC state chairmanship to Plateau North presented an opportunity to address the alleged imbalance.

According to the group, because the deputy governorship and senatorial positions were already associated with the numerically advantaged community, it advocated for a qualified candidate from one of the minority communities to emerge as the APC state chairman.

It said the proposal was not accepted.

The group also criticised the process that produced the APC’s Plateau North senatorial candidate, alleging that it again favoured the same community.

PNEP claimed that if the APC candidate wins the 2027 election, the community would have occupied the Plateau North Senate seat for eight of the nine electoral cycles since 1999, with only the 2003–2007 cycle breaking the pattern.

The group further claimed that the community currently holds two of the three House of Representatives seats in the senatorial district.

On the deputy governorship, PNEP said the same community had produced occupants of the office in the 1999–2003, 2003–2007 and 2007–2011 administrations and currently holds the position through the incumbent deputy governor.

It said the incumbent deputy governor had also been picked to seek another term in 2027.

PNEP argued that the cumulative effect of these arrangements was a concentration of political influence in one community.

The group said this was particularly troubling because, in its assessment, the community had not provided commensurate electoral support to the APC over the years.

However, PNEP acknowledged that political offices should ultimately be determined through democratic processes and said its demand was for political parties to consider inclusivity when making zoning and nomination decisions.

Appeal to Tinubu, Mutfwang

The group appealed to President Bola Tinubu, the APC national leadership and Mr Mutfwang to intervene in the situation before the 2027 elections.

It specifically urged the governor to review the arrangement surrounding the Plateau North senatorial seat and called for the deputy governorship slot to be reserved for a candidate from one of the minority communities in the zone.

PNEP warned that failure to address what it described as political marginalisation could affect the APC’s prospects in Plateau North and have wider implications for the party in Plateau State.

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“As the APC looks ahead to the 2027 general elections, it must address the critical issues raised here because they may determine not only the future of the APC in Plateau North but also the strength and unity of the party across Plateau State as a whole,” the group said.

It added that its members were “fully mobilised” to explore what it called viable democratic options if the concerns were not addressed.

PNEP described its campaign as an effort to secure the political inclusion of minority communities that it said had experienced decades of underrepresentation.

The APC and the Plateau State Government were not represented at the press conference. Their responses to the allegations could not be independently verified at the time of filing this report.