The League of Northern Democrats (LND) led by former Kano State governor, Ibrahim Shekarau, has demanded the registration of a new political party as condition to join the opposition coalition aiming to unseat Presient Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027.
Convener of the LND, Dr. Umar Ardo, along with 12 other senior members of the league, disclosed this in a statement yesterday after reviewing a list of available options for the coalition.
There are speculations that the coalition being championed by Vice President Atiku Abubakar and other political bigwigs like former governors of Kaduna and Rivers States, Nasir El-Rufai and Rotimi Amaechi and many others would adopt the African Democratic Congress (ADC) or the Social Democratic Party (SDP) to slug it our with the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 polls.
But in a statement yesterday, Ardo said, “On the question of party platform, after carefully examining the two leading proposals – fusing into an existing registered political party such as the ADC or the SDP or registering a new political party, we conclude that it is best for the opposition to register a new party platform, presenting the most viable, principled and sustainable path forward.”
He argued that the timeframe between now and the 2027 election is sufficient for a serious and focused coalition to register and build a credible new political party.
Justifying their position, Ardo listed structural realities and risks associated with using an existing political party, arguing it could pose an existential threat to the goals of the coalition.
He said, “The ADC, SDP and similar existing parties already possess entrenched ward, local government, state and zonal structures whose leadership tenures remain legally binding and often deeply resistant to reform.
“For instance, the ADC Chairman in Adamawa publicly declared that his mandate, secured in December 2022 in the Zaria convention, remains valid until December 2026, by which time the nominations will be long over. This reality exists across the country in all existing parties.
“Fusing into such parties without full and prior harmonisation of interests and control of these structures invites chaos, factionalism, litigation and paralysis.
“A new party, by contrast, provides a clean ideological slate, a fresh institutional architecture and a compelling narrative of rebirth, one that can win the hearts and minds of Nigerians weary of recycled platforms and failed promises.”
He urged the leadership of the coalition to initiate the process of registering a new political party with a unifying name, clear ideology and inclusive leadership charter.
