The Forum of 17 Local Government Chairmen of the Plateau State Youth Council (PYC) has called on the Jos North Local Government Council and the Plateau State Attorney General to immediately appeal a recent High Court judgment on indigeneship, describing the ruling as a matter with significant implications for peace, identity, and constitutional interpretation in Plateau State.
Addressing journalists and the public in a statement issued in Jos on June 15, 2026, the forum said it had reviewed the June 9 judgment in the case of Fatima Baba Akawu & Anor v. Jos North Local Government Council, which reportedly ordered the council to issue a Certificate of Indigene to a resident and declared the use of Residential Certificates unconstitutional.
The youth leaders expressed concern that the judgment, if left unchallenged, could affect what they described as one of the most sensitive foundations of peace in Plateau State—the constitutional definition of indigeneity under Section 318(1) of the 1999 Constitution.
According to the forum, every Nigerian citizen enjoys the constitutional right to live, work, own property, and access public services in any part of the country, including Plateau State. However, it argued that indigeneity is distinct from citizenship and is linked to ancestral and communal descent from indigenous communities within a state or local government area.
The chairmen noted that issues such as federal character appointments, scholarships, local government quotas, chieftaincy matters, and the protection of host communities are often tied to indigene status.
“Birth or long residence alone does not automatically confer indigeneity,” the forum stated, citing judicial precedents and constitutional provisions.
The group further warned that Plateau State has suffered greatly from disputes surrounding identity, land ownership, political representation, and communal recognition, stressing that a judgment of such magnitude could create a precedent capable of reopening old tensions if not properly reviewed through the appellate process.
While emphasizing that it was not opposed to any Nigerian resident living in Jos North, the forum maintained that its position was driven by a commitment to peace, fairness, and constitutional order.
The youth leaders therefore urged the Jos North Local Government Council and the Attorney General of Plateau State to file an appeal and seek a stay of execution of the judgment. They also called on the state government to make available the Plateau Resolves 2004 document and relevant White Papers to assist in guiding any appeal process.
Forum Distances Itself from Barcfarm Enrollment Statement
The forum also used the opportunity to dissociate itself from a recent statement concerning the onboarding of the second batch of participants in the Plateau Youth Agricultural Empowerment Programme (P-YAEP/Barcfarm).
While commending the state government’s efforts toward youth agricultural empowerment, the local government youth leaders said the statement did not represent the collective position of the 17 local government chapters of the council.
The forum accused the state leadership of the PYC of failing to adequately engage grassroots structures and expressed concern over what it described as prolonged silence on critical issues affecting Plateau youths, including insecurity and the ongoing indigeneship debate.
According to the chairmen, youth organizations must remain independent and consultative in their engagements with government, insisting that no individual should speak on behalf of Plateau youths without adequate consultation across all 17 local government areas.
The forum emphasized the need for transparency, inclusiveness, and local representation in the implementation of youth-focused programmes and policies.
Calls for Responsive Youth Leadership
Reaffirming its support for the indigenous ethnic groups of Jos North—Afizere, Anaguta, and Berom—the forum said it would continue to defend constitutional identity while supporting the rights of all residents irrespective of ethnic or religious background.
The chairmen also called on the state chairman of the PYC to take a more active role in addressing issues of insecurity and indigeneship, warning that grassroots youth leaders may be compelled to take a more prominent role in representing the interests of Plateau youths if such concerns continue to go unaddressed.
The statement concluded by reaffirming the forum’s willingness to work with government on agricultural empowerment and other youth development initiatives, provided such engagements are guided by fairness, consultation, and respect for established local government structures.
The statement was signed by the Forum of the 17 Local Government Chairmen of the Plateau State Youth Council, led by Tangden Barnabas Bintim of Langtang North Local Government Area, alongside chairmen representing the remaining local government areas of the state.