The Plateau North Equity Project (PNEP) has mounted fresh pressure on the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to address what it described as years of political marginalisation of minority ethnic communities in Plateau North ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The group is also calling on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the APC National Chairman and Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang to intervene in what it described as an emerging imbalance in the distribution of major political positions within the senatorial district.
PNEP made the demand on Tuesday at a press conference held at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Press Centre in Jos, where its spokesperson, Song Muru, called for an “equitable, fair and just distribution” of political offices among the six Local Government Areas comprising Plateau North.
The group comprises minority ethnic communities predominantly from Bassa, Jos East, Jos North, as well as the Ibaas and Ganawuri communities in Barkin Ladi and Riyom.
Muru alleged that critical political positions in Plateau North had, over the years, remained concentrated in one numerically dominant community, resulting in what he described as inadequate representation of minority groups in the zone.
“Our mandate is simple: no community should be perpetually enslaved to political exclusion. True democracy must be built on inclusion, balance and shared responsibility,” he said.
According to him, PNEP had previously engaged relevant government stakeholders and members of the community perceived by the group as dominant, before formally appealing to Governor Mutfwang to intervene in what it considers a longstanding political imbalance.
The group expressed particular concern over the Plateau North Senatorial seat, alleging that it had been occupied by members of the same dominant community in seven of the eight electoral cycles since 1999, with the 2003–2007 period being the only exception.
Muru further alleged that the same community currently occupies two of the three House of Representatives seats in the senatorial district, while the positions of Deputy Governor and APC State Chairman were also being aligned in a manner the group believes could further limit opportunities for minority communities.
“The political landscape has already been shaped in a manner where the same advantaged community is strategically positioned to occupy the Deputy Governorship, the Senate seat, the State Party Chairmanship and two out of three House of Representatives seats under the APC banner, to the total exclusion of the minority tribes of the zone,” he said.
PNEP said it had appealed to Governor Mutfwang to critically review the existing Senate arrangement and ensure that the Deputy Governorship is reserved for minority communities in Plateau North, but claimed that its appeals had yet to produce the desired response.
The group, however, stressed that its campaign was not intended to prevent any individual or ethnic community from contesting elective positions.
Rather, it said its demand was for political parties to deploy zoning, consensus-building and other democratic mechanisms to promote fairness, inclusion and a sense of belonging among the diverse communities in Plateau North.
The equity group warned that failure by the APC to address the concerns could have serious political consequences for the party in Plateau North and Plateau State ahead of the 2027 elections.
PNEP said its members were “fully mobilised to explore viable democratic options” towards ending what it described as “age-long marginalisation,” urging the APC leadership to act swiftly before the issue further affects the party’s unity, cohesion and electoral prospects.
The group’s position adds another dimension to the growing political conversation around power rotation, zoning and equitable representation as political parties position themselves for the 2027 elections.
