Umar Ardo, Convener of the League of Northern Democrats, has revealed that the political coalition seeking to challenge President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general election is currently grappling with internal divisions, causing a noticeable slowdown in momentum.
Speaking on ARISE Television’s Morning Show on Wednesday, Ardo cited an ongoing “ideological crisis” within the coalition as the primary reason for the stall in progress.
The coalition, which reportedly includes former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Governors Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers) and Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna), as well as Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, had been in advanced talks to unite ahead of the next presidential race.
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According to Ardo, disagreements have emerged over the structure the coalition should adopt. “There’s a major divide,” he said.
“While some influential members are pushing for the group to merge with an already existing political party, others are insisting on forming an entirely new party from the ground up.”
He noted that this lack of consensus on political direction and strategy has weakened coordination and delayed the coalition’s formal launch.
He said: “I think the coalition will stand. At the formative stage usually you have these hiccups, but over time, they will shape up. And basically, the coalition is in place, but it’s just divided on the basis of ideology.
“Well, when I say ideology, I say, I mean approach — how to approach the politics.
“Predominant members and even leaders of the coalition are in support of fusing into an existing political party, and another group, which I belong to, is in support of registering a whole new political party.
“This is actually where things stand, and I don’t know what the ultimate decision will be by the leaders and key stakeholders and movers of the coalition.
“But we insist, from our side, that our approach of establishing a new political party by the coalition is the best way to approach this transitional politics, and it is, for me, almost almost certain of victory.”
