Kano, Kano state – Ibrahim Shekarau, former governor of Kano, is leading the northern elite to woo southern bigwigs for an alliance ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Although the next presidential election is in two years, recent political developments are proving to be indications that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu may face a complex political battle. The current ploy to unseat him is gathering more momentum and this has not gone unnoticed.
The road to Tinubu’s re-election is fraught with challenges, particularly from northern factions seeking to reclaim the presidency. The alleged scheming by northern factions to work against Tinubu’s re-election started with the realignment and meetings among notable northern politicians.
As reported by The Punch on Sunday, January 12, 2025, sources disclosed that ex-head of state, Yakubu Gowon and former President/one-time head of state Olusegun Obasanjo, are among supporters of Shekarau and others’ mission.
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The newspaper said Umar Sani, a former spokesperson for ex-vice president Namadi Sambo, informed it that the group had already met Obasanjo.
Sani clarified that the LND had not yet been registered as a political party.
The LND’s move comes amid political manoeuvres by many leaders aiming to unseat President Tinubu in the 2027 general elections.
In the same vein, Ladan Salihu, the spokesperson of the group, stated that discussions were ongoing with southern leaders, including former governors, senators, and ministers.
He said:
“We’ve been contacted by notable politicians from the South, especially from the South-East, who indicated plans to form the League of Southern Democrats.
“Similarly, respected politicians from the south-west have shown interest in joining the LND if it becomes a national platform, or they may even form the League of Western Democrats.
“This is a political metamorphosis that will culminate in the creation of what will eventually become the League of Nigerian Democrats.”
2027: ‘It would be difficult to rig’
Earlier, reported that a non-partisan umbrella for all southern groups, the Coalition of Southern Groups (CSG), decried the rising cost of living in West Africa’s largest economy, Nigeria.
Chairman of the coalition and a former commissioner in Imo state, Professor Vitalis Orikeze Ajumbe, stated that it would be difficult to rig the 2027 presidential election.