The youth presidents representing the Bajju, Atyap, Ikulu and Kamantan ethnic nationalities, alongside the Southern Kaduna People’s Union (SOKAPU) Youth Wing, Zangon Kataf chapter, have appealed to Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, to intervene in what they described as a political injustice threatening the harmony and democratic stability of the Zangon Kataf/Jaba Federal Constituency.
Addressing a news conference in Kaduna, the National Chairman of the Anghan Youth Development Association, Comrade Ezekiel Samaila, who spoke on behalf of the groups, declared that it is now the turn of Zangon Kataf to produce the member representing the Zangon Kataf/Jaba Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives in 2027.
According to them, “We, the youth presidents representing the Bajju, Atyap, Ikulu and Kamantan people, issue this formal statement to draw the urgent attention of His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Kaduna State, Senator Uba Sani, and the entire people of Kaduna State to a brewing political injustice that threatens the harmony and democratic stability of our constituency.”
They added: “The political weight of a region is measured by its mandate. Currently, the voter distribution within our federal constituency reveals a margin that cannot be ignored. Zangon Kataf Local Government boasts 180,998 registered voters, while Jaba Local Government has only 66,948.
“With a voting strength nearly three times that of Jaba LGA, the people of Zangon Kataf have remained patient, cooperative and committed to the spirit of brotherhood.”
The youths further stated that, “However, it is fundamentally disrespectful to our massive electorate for aspirants from Jaba LGA to emerge for the Federal House of Representatives seat at a time when the scales of justice demand a shift.
“This gentleman’s agreement must not be jettisoned on the path to 2027. Political stability in our region has historically relied on a two-term rotation agreement between Zangon Kataf and Jaba LGAs. We must set the record straight: in 2018, Hon. Amos Magaji (from Jaba LGA) contested even when it was technically not his local government’s turn, and by the end of his current second term, Jaba will have enjoyed eight full years of representation.”
They added that, “By every law of equity and the established rotation principle, the seat must return to Zangon Kataf LGA. It beats the imagination that a local government with one-third of our population seeks to bypass established internal agreements.
“We are no longer willing to watch our democratic right be sidelined by political mischief.”
The youths warned that, “Let it be known that if the spirit of rotation and mutual respect is discarded by our neighbours in Jaba, the youth of Zangon Kataf will be forced to reconsider our stance.
“We may be compelled to advocate for the ‘Jema’a/Sanga model’, where numerical strength dictates the winner and the majority takes all.”
They further appealed, “We believe in the leadership and commitment of His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Kaduna State, Senator Uba Sani, to fairness.
That is why we are urging the state government and party leadership to acknowledge the valid rotation cycle that concludes Jaba’s tenure this term, ensure that the House of Representatives ticket is zoned exclusively to Zangon Kataf for the upcoming cycle, and prevent any actions that would disenfranchise our 180,998 voting strength, which remains the backbone of this constituency.”
“Justice is the only bedrock for peace. We will not stand by while the gentleman’s agreement is treated with levity,” they said.
