A coalition of Northern groups under the Rebuild Arewa Initiative for Development (RAID) declared on Friday that the region’s nineteen states will announce a consensus presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections this April. The announcement will be made during a landmark Northern convention designed to forge a unified strategy on the region’s profound security, economic, and governance challenges. “The region is confronted with deep and interrelated challenges that can no longer be addressed with silence, denial or fragmented efforts,” the group stated during a press briefing in Abuja to outline plans for the 2026 Sardauna Memorial Day.
Reading from a prepared text, RAID’s Director of Communications, Comrade Bitako Abubakar Umar, explained the convention aims to produce a “people-driven roadmap” for leadership choices. He linked the pervasive insecurity—including banditry and kidnappings—to weak governance and a “culture of impunity.” RAID’s Secretary, Comrade Kabiru Duhu, urged the North to relearn the institutional and ethical legacy of Sir Ahmadu Bello, the former Premier. “The Sardauna’s inclusive governance style, personal integrity and long-term planning remain relevant today,” Duhu asserted, framing the upcoming political move as part of a broader quest for stability and renewed development.