Yesterday, former Head of State Gen. Yakubu Gowon, gave members of the League of Northern Democrats (LND) a candid piece of advice.
He urged them to jettison sectional interests and champion the cause that serves Nigeria’s collective interest.
The former leader told the North’s political elite that the sustenance of the on-going democracy rests on the region.
He urged the leaders of the region to prioritise the nation’s collective good in its pursuits.
The LND is led by a former Kano State Governor, Senator Ibrahim Shekarau.
The former Head of State spoke when members of the group visited him in Abuja.
The group had similarly visited former President Olusegun Obasanjo in Abeokuta.
Shekarau is the convener of the LND, made up of more than 200 North’s political leaders, mostly former top government officials and retired military officers.
The group has hinted of a plan to push for a presidential candidate from the North in 2027.
Gowon said: “My position has always been that whatever the North does must serve the greater interest of Nigeria.”
According to him, his professional background shaped his political stance.
“I am not affiliated with any political party. My allegiance is solely to Nigeria,” he affirmed.
Gowon was Head of State between 1966 and 1975. A symbol of national unity, he led the country through a three year civil war and declared “no victor, no vanquished” after the conflict.
