Former Kano State governor and Convener of League of Northern Democrats, Senator Ibrahim Shekarau, has said that the recent court order directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise the Senator Nenadi Usman-led Caretaker Committee as the authentic leadership of the Labour Party (LP) is a good omen for opposition politicians.

He said that the positive developments in the leading opposition parties, including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and LP, have given the coalition of opposition political leaders a fresh window to demonstrate their seriousness and patriotic determination to rescue the country from poor governance.

Last Wednesday, an Abuja Federal High Court, presided over by Justice Peter Lifu, upheld the Supreme Court’s ruling that Julius Abure’s tenure as national chairman had expired and affirmed the establishment of the Usman-led Caretaker as the party’s authentic leadership.

Relying on the April 4, 2025, verdict of the Supreme Court, which removed Abure as the National Chairman of the party, Justice Lifu ordered INEC to recognise Senator Usman and her panel as the valid leadership of the party.

Speaking on the development, Shekarau, who represented Kano Central Senatorial District in the 9th plenary, said the coalition of political parties, which he canvassed, has become more urgent if the opposition is serious about upstaging the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Referencing a similar collaboration that birthed the APC, the former governor who contested the 2011 presidential poll on the platform of the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), said the current coalition of persons may not bear fruit as it appears to be founded on individual ambitions.

Speaking through his media aide, Dr Yau Sule Yau, Shekaru recalled how the merger of parties on APC platform succeeded, stressing that patriotism was key because “political parties fused together, not individuals. That was why it succeeded.”

He maintained that the danger posed by the ongoing coalition of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) appears to be high and could be traced to the strong political ambition of some of its promoters.

“In the case of APC, it was political parties, where each party formed a transition committee and sent representatives to the merger committee. His Excellency, Senator Shekarau, was heading the ANPP panel, and I think Bisi Akande and Ambassador Tom Ikimi were heading the ACN (Action Congress of Nigeria) panel.

“Tanko Al-Makura also headed the one for CPC (Congress for Progressive Change).

So, they have members, and each party presented some members to that committee, so they worked together. That was what gave birth to APC. You can see, it was a formation of political parties unlike the one we are facing now, comprising just individuals,” he stated.