Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, a businessman and former public servant, is running for the ADC presidential nomination, saying Nigeria needs a leader who has spent decades building institutions rather than playing party politics.
Hayatu-Deen made his case in a statement on Sunday, two days before the party holds its presidential primary. He argued that his four decades in business and public service, combined with his distance from factional disputes within the ADC, make him the strongest candidate to challenge for the presidency in 2027.
"Our nation stands at a crossroads," he said. "Over the past three years, food and fuel prices have spiralled out of control, there are too few jobs, and our security crisis means Nigerians across the country live in fear. I am running because Nigeria deserves better. And because our party, the African Democratic Congress, is the only vehicle through which we can deliver it."
Hayatu-Deen positioned himself as an outsider to the internal power struggles that have defined ADC politics. He said he brings no factional debts and no history of personal feuds that have cost the country. That distinction, he argued, sets him apart from other aspirants in the race who carry the weight of earlier party divisions.
"I am not a career politician," he said. "I have spent forty years in business and public service, creating jobs, generating investment, and building institutions. Every business and organisation I have run, I have left in a better place than I found it. And I will do the same for our country."
He framed his campaign around three issues: jobs, the cost of living, and security. These, he said, are the concerns that occupy Nigerian families every day. The ADC, he argued, is the only political platform genuinely focused on solving them, and he is committed to turning the party into a force capable of winning elections across all levels in 2027.
Hayatu-Deen called on party members to support him on Monday. "If you believe that I would be the best flag bearer to ensure victory at the presidential election next year, please join my line on Monday," he said.
The ADC presidential primary takes place on Monday. Hayatu-Deen will compete against other aspirants seeking the party's nomination.
