The League of Northern Democrats (LND), led by former Kano State governor Ibrahim Shekarau, has set a condition for joining the opposition coalition aimed at unseating President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027: the registration of a new political party.
The LND’s convener, Dr. Umar Ardo, along with 12 other senior members, announced this in a statement yesterday after evaluating potential options for the coalition.
There had been speculation that the coalition, championed by figures like former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former governors Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna) and Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), might adopt an existing party such as the African Democratic Congress (ADC) or the Social Democratic Party (SDP) to challenge the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 polls.
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However, Ardo’s statement clearly articulated the LND’s preference: “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 there is sufficient time before the 2027 election for a serious and focused coalition to register and build a credible new political party.
Ardo further justified their stance by citing the structural realities and risks associated with using an existing political party, suggesting it could pose an “existential threat” to the coalition’s objectives.
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.”
Dr. Ardo urged the coalition’s leadership to begin the process of registering a new political party.
This new party, he emphasized, should have a unifying name, a clear ideology, and an inclusive leadership charter.
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