The Northern Christian Youth Professionals (NCYP) has endorsed the Arewa Youth Inclusion Advocacy Campaign and reaffirmed its support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The group called for greater political participation by youths from Northern Nigeria, particularly in governance, decision-making and national development.
NCYP made its position known during its National Leadership Council meeting in Abuja, where it formally joined the coalition of the Arewa Democratic Stakeholders Forum and endorsed the youth inclusion campaign championed by Comrade Haruna Sardauna.
The move brings NCYP into a broader coalition of more than 329 political support groups, faith-based organisations and civil society groups operating under the Arewa Democratic Stakeholders Forum.
NCYP National Chairman, Isaac Abrak, who led the meeting, described the coalition as a strategic platform for uniting diverse stakeholders to advance the political, economic and developmental interests of the North while strengthening Nigeria’s democratic process.
Abrak disclosed that the forum had commenced consultations with Northern and national stakeholders, including senior officials of the Tinubu administration and leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He said the engagements were designed to create channels for stakeholders to communicate their concerns to government and secure greater participation in governance and policy discussions.
Abrak also defended NCYP’s decision to support the Tinubu-Shettima presidential ticket in 2023 despite strong opposition from sections of the Christian community to the Muslim-Muslim ticket.
He said the organisation took the position out of patriotism and a commitment to national unity, insisting that religion should not become a permanent barrier to political participation.
“In early 2022, when many Christian bodies and stakeholders all rejected the Muslim-Muslim ticket, we almost single-handedly sold it to our people—the Northern Christians. Most of the Christian votes were as a result of our campaign,” Abrak said.
According to him, NCYP members faced criticism and hostility from some Christian groups over the decision but remained committed to what they considered the broader national interest.
He argued that the subsequent participation of Northern Christians in the Tinubu administration and government programmes justified the organisation’s decision to remain politically engaged.
“We did not support the ticket because we wanted appointments. We supported it because we believed Northern Christians must be part of the political process and because we believed Nigeria’s development should not be held hostage by religious divisions,” he said.
While reaffirming NCYP’s support for the APC, Abrak said political loyalty should translate into meaningful participation, youth empowerment and access to decision-making structures.
He urged the Presidency and APC leadership to recognise the contributions of political support groups and other stakeholders across Northern Nigeria by creating greater opportunities for participation in governance and political structures.
Abrak also called on APC support groups across the region to join the Arewa Democratic Stakeholders Forum, saying a united platform would strengthen advocacy for youth inclusion and other regional interests.
The NCYP chairman disclosed that he recently participated in a delegation that met with the Minister of Youth Development as part of ongoing dialogue and strategic consultations on issues affecting young Nigerians.
He said the organisation had also adopted dialogue, consultation and strategic engagement as its preferred approach to political advocacy, replacing confrontational methods that could undermine cohesion among stakeholders.
As part of the new partnership, Abrak constituted a five-man committee to meet with the National Chairman of the Arewa Democratic Stakeholders Forum, Haruna Sardauna, and present NCYP’s formal endorsement of the Arewa Youth Inclusion Advocacy Campaign.
The organisation said the partnership would strengthen efforts to secure greater political representation for Arewa youths and expand their role in governance and decision-making.
NCYP further reaffirmed its support for Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid, expressing optimism that a united Northern stakeholder platform and sustained engagement with government would create more opportunities for young people while deepening democratic participation.
The development signals a renewed effort by Northern Christian youth stakeholders to consolidate political support for the Tinubu administration while placing youth inclusion at the centre of their mobilisation strategy ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
