This article responds to the numerous inquiries I’ve received following my recent appearance on the Channel television, where I discussed the formation of the League of Northern Democrats (LND). Many people asked why form the LND? What is the difference between the LND, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), and the Northern Elders Forum (NEF)?
The answers to these are straightforward. The North has a proud heritage of unity in diversity, characterized by a collective voice, inclusivity and strong political culture. However, over the past two decades, we have seen consistent decline of these values, largely due to leadership vacuum, taken undue advantage of by outside influences to further weaken the North, and allowed by passive attitudes of our elites. This has left the region grappling with serious challenges of disunity, conflicts, instability, poverty, illiteracy, insecurity and a near collapse of societal fabric. This predicament will only worsen if these challenges are not urgently and effectively addressed.
It is against this backdrop that the League of Northern Democrats was formed. The LND aims to reverse this ugly trend by taking needed strategic measures. This becomes necessary to fill in the leadership void that has persisted in the region for years despite the existence of such platforms like the ACF and NEF. As it turns out, the current state of the North stands in stark contrast to the stated objectives of these groups, revealing a significant gap between their aspirations and the harsh realities on the ground.
Founded in 2000 and 2003, for example, the ACF and NEF were respectively created by two elite groups. Basically, the primary objectives of both are to:
- Promote unity and peace among the North’s diverse ethnic and religious groups;
- Advocate for northern political, economic, social, and cultural interests within Nigeria;
- Provide political guidance to northern leaders;
- Engage in conflict resolution;
- Support socio-economic development; and
- Preserve the region’s cultural heritage.
While these organizations and their leaderships remain influential in northern politics, there are questions about their impact in attaining their objectives. Has the North become more united and peaceful since their inceptions? Have northern interests been better projected in national politics? Have governments been more responsive to the region’s needs? Is the North now more politically, economically, educationally and socially advanced? Unfortunately, the answer to these questions is largely negative.
Even the ACF leadership recently acknowledged these shortcomings. In a meeting in Kaduna, the chairman of its Board of Trustees, Alh. Bashir Dalhatu, admitted the organization’s failures and apologized to northerners.
In light of this, the LND did not wait for such admissions. We recognized the challenges early enough and formed the LND to fill the leadership void and take up the challenge. The LND shares many of the same goals as the ACF and NEF but differs in its approach. Unlike the ACF and NEF, which are basically socio-cultural and apolitical, the LND is a political movement composed of patriotic elites from across the North. Our objective is to influence Nigeria’s national politics and power dynamics for regional and national benefits.
To achieve our goals, the LND employs a more strategic and sophisticated approach, emphasizing commitment, dedication and collaboration among its members.
We extend a call to all patriotic northerners, regardless of ethnicity, political affiliation, or religion, who are sincere and committed to the development of the North and the nation to join us. For the avoidance of doubt, I want to emphasize that the LND is not a substitute to the ACF or NEF but a complementary force aimed at rectifying past mistakes and driving a new vision for a better North and a greater Nigeria.
–Dr Salihu is the spokesperson of LND
