A presidential aspirant of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, has urged party delegates and stakeholders to reject what he described as “recycled politics” ahead of Monday’s presidential primary, warning that the party risked losing credibility if it failed to present a genuine alternative to Nigeria’s established political order.
Speaking at the “MHD for ADC” North Central Townhall in Abuja on Saturday, the former banker and businessman said the outcome of the primary would determine whether the party could position itself as a viable national force ahead of the 2027 general election.
“The ADC primary is now only two days away,” Hayatu-Deen said. “Monday is not merely about selecting a candidate. Monday is about determining whether the ADC is truly serious about rescuing Nigeria and offering Nigerians a credible alternative to the failed politics they have endured for too long.”
Positioning himself as an outsider to Nigeria’s traditional political establishment, the aspirant sought to draw a sharp distinction between his candidacy and those of his rivals.
“I am not on the carousel of the same old faces that Nigerians have seen for decades,” he said. “I carry no political baggage. I owe no godfathers. What I bring is experience, credibility, integrity, calm leadership, and a practical recovery plan for Nigeria.”
Addressing delegates from the North Central zone, Hayatu-Deen focused heavily on insecurity and economic hardship in states including Benue, Plateau, Niger, Nasarawa and Kogi, arguing that persistent attacks on farming communities were crippling agricultural production and deepening humanitarian distress.
“A nation cannot prosper when the region that feeds it is bleeding,” he said.
The former banker also recounted the kidnapping of his sister in Borno, where she was reportedly held captive for three years, saying the experience strengthened his conviction that government must place the protection of lives at the centre of national policy.
On the economy, Hayatu-Deen outlined proposals centred on job creation, agro-processing, youth employment incentives and women’s economic empowerment, arguing that Nigeria needed to restore productivity and investor confidence in order to reverse economic decline.
He also defended the autonomy of political parties following a recent court ruling concerning guidelines issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
“The High Court was right to affirm that INEC should not dictate the internal democratic processes of political parties,” he said. “INEC’s responsibility is to ensure credible elections, maintain fairness, and protect the integrity of the electoral process, not to interfere in how parties manage their internal affairs.”
Warning delegates against turning the ADC into what he called another “platform for recycled politics”, Hayatu-Deen said the failure to build a broad national coalition capable of winning power could leave Nigeria exposed to “four more years of economic hardship, rising insecurity, deepening poverty, and growing hopelessness”.
The aspirant concluded by appealing for support at Monday’s primary, where he is expected to face former vice-president Atiku Abubakar and former Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi.
