Former Kano State governor Shekarau leads the move to form a new national political party

FORMER Kano State governor and presidential candidate Senator Ibrahim Shekarau is expected to spearhead the launch of a new political party soon to be named as the League of National Democrats (LND).

Between 2003 and 2011, Senator Shekarau was the Kano State governor and after leaving office, he served in the senate between 2019 and 2023. He also briefly served as education minister between 2014 and 2015 and in 20111 ran a high profile presidential campaign in which he stood against Presidents Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari.

At the moment, Senator Shekarau is the spearhead of a campaign group known as the League of Northern Democrats and there are now plans to convert it into a fully fledged political party. It is hoped that the LND will provide formidable opposition to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Originally formed as a pro-northern movement advocating for governance reforms, the LND is now expanding its vision to incorporate individuals from southern Nigeria in a bid to form a more inclusive political platform. Its convener, Dr Umar Ardo, has recently criticised both the APC and PDP for their handling of Nigeria’s governance, accusing them of failing to address the country’s pressing issues and perpetuating a cycle of self-service and dishonesty.

Dr Ardo said: “The PDP and APC, along with other existing political parties, have not only failed to address Nigeria’s fundamental challenges but have also, over the years, shown no sign or intention to ever do so. The trajectory of this system has left Nigeria at a standstill.”

He advocated a radical departure from the current political paradigm, stating that LND’s agenda would focus on tackling endemic poverty, insecurity, corruption and institutional decay. With the goal of expanding its influence into southern Nigeria, the LND plans to merge into a unified political party that will advocate for democratic renewal and institutional reform.