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Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, a former governor of Kano State and the chairman of the League of Northern Democrats (LND), has criticized the new opposition coalition, saying it does not have the political structure needed to take on the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 elections.

Shekarau said in a statement released on Friday that the coalition is not a formal political merger but rather a loose assembly of presidential candidates.

He pointed out that the leadership of the two main opposition parties, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP), do not support the coalition.

“The coming together of some senior members of opposition parties is a welcome development, as seen recently under what they call a ‘coalition’ of opposition parties. But unfortunately, most people do not realize that this so-called coalition has nothing to do with the major opposition parties; PDP and LP,” Shekarau stated.

He says that the coalition is unlikely to seriously challenge the APC’s hegemony because it is being led by individuals rather than by recognized political institutions.

The All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), and a faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) were the four registered parties that were merged to form the APC in 2013, which he compared to the current state of affairs.

“The first political merger in Nigeria happened in 2013 when four registered parties merged to form the APC. So, technically, the APC is not a ‘new party.’”

”It was an alliance of registered opposition political parties that were already well-established, with elected state governors, state and National Assembly members, and significant grassroots support,” Shekarau explained.

Shekarau went on to say that the coalition’s lack of clout with opposition lawmakers was made clear by the National Assembly’s recent adoption of the contentious Rivers State State of Emergency law.

“What happened at the National Assembly on March 20, 2025, regarding the ‘State of Emergency’ in Rivers State has exposed the so-called coalition. it is clear they have no control over opposition lawmakers in the National Assembly,” he said.

He went on to say that the APC administration would not have gotten the necessary votes to pass the law if the coalition leaders had any actual sway.

Shekarau drew on history to highlight the failure of a similar coalition attempt in 2019, which united ten political groups against the APC but ultimately fell apart because it was not inclusive.

“The 2019 ‘coalition’ was formally launched almost a year before the elections at the Yar’Adua Center, yet none of the then-elected PDP leaders was in attendance. No amount of noise-making or informal alliances by individual politicians in the name of opposition will have any impact in elections unless the full leadership structure of opposition parties at all levels is involved,” he warned.

He also denied that the opposition’s weakness is entirely due to the APC’s policy of stealing opposition members, asserting that opposition leaders are accountable for bolstering their own parties.

“The simplistic claim that the APC is poaching and destabilizing opposition parties is, to me, naïve. Why are the so-called ‘big names’ in the opposition unable to resist defection? Why don’t they unite to properly fund and build their parties while mobilizing grassroots support?” he asked.

Shekarau insisted that if the opposition concentrates on true unity and strategic preparation, it still has an opportunity to restructure itself prior to the 2027 elections, notwithstanding his critiques.

“It is still not too late. I believe that with the right vision, mission, and focus, combined with a genuine sense of purpose, the opposition can change its narrative in 2025 and position itself for success in the 2027 elections,” he added.

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