Plans for a major opposition force ahead of the 2027 general elections are firming up, as former Governors Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers) and Liyel Imoke (Cross River) have been named to head two strategic committees shaping the direction of a new coalition poised to challenge President Bola Tinubu’s leadership.
The announcement was made on Thursday in Abuja during an expanded session of the League of Northern Democrats (LND), a political group that has declared support for the emerging alliance.
Dr Umar Ardo, Convener of the LND, read the communiqué from the meeting, which drew notable northern political figures including former Kano State Governor Ibrahim Shekarau.
The broader coalition includes political stalwarts such as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai. The alliance is currently weighing the option of either registering a new political party or merging with an existing one.
“The coalition set up two committees, among others, to consider the desirability or feasibility of registering a new political party and to consider fusing into an existing political party,” said Ardo.
He explained that Liyel Imoke would lead the committee examining integration into an existing party, while Rotimi Amaechi chairs the team evaluating the creation of a new one. Ardo serves as secretary of the latter committee.
A final decision on the coalition’s trajectory is expected by 30 May.
“We resolved to support the National Opposition Coalition Group for the transitional politics towards 2027 and to contribute in the dialogue on either to register a new political party as the vehicle to drive the politics or fuse into an existing political party,” Ardo said.
Should consensus not emerge on forming a new party, discussions are underway to align with the Action Democratic Party (ADP) or the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
“Former Governor Nasir El-Rufai brought a complaint that SDP is interested in being considered for the fusing. For that, the committee set up the 30th of this month to decide either to go with ADC, SDP or form a new political party. So, we in the LND here have resolved to support that position,” he added.
The LND also plans to directly engage the 19 northern governors on critical regional issues such as insecurity, poverty, and unemployment.
“We resolved that we are going to engage them one way or the other. We resolved to mobilise the North and by extension all Nigerians to pressure government, especially legislators to uphold, defend and protect the constitution of Nigeria,” Ardo concluded.