A presidential aspirant on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, has outlined the qualities he believes Nigeria’s next president must possess ahead of the 2027 general election.
Hayatu-Deen said whoever emerges as president on May 29, 2027 must be a competent and unifying leader capable of addressing the country’s numerous challenges and positioning Nigeria effectively in the global community.
“The 230 million people deserve a leader who is a unifier, not a divider, who is very competent, who understands this country, its opportunities and problems, and who also understands what the world is all about and Nigeria’s place in it,” he said.
The aspirant spoke with journalists on Wednesday shortly after submitting his nomination documents at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.
He lamented the country’s worsening socio-economic conditions, including inflation, poverty, insecurity and the state of public infrastructure.
“We face enormous problems in this country, pertaining to high inflation, the cost of living, hunger, poverty, and diseases. Children are out of school, health facilities are dilapidated, and an enormous amount of insecurity,” Hayatu-Deen said.
“If I am lucky to get the nomination and go on to contest this election, I would be waging a campaign that is focused on alleviating poverty, eliminating insecurity in this country, reducing the cost of living, and putting our children back to school, giving our people prosperity and a world in which they can live comfortably and raise the quality of life for all Nigerians,” he added.
Speaking further, the Borno State-born politician stressed the need for competence over ethnic or regional considerations in the choice of a president.
“Competence is exceptional at this point in time, because anybody who is going for the office of president is actually going as a quintessential Nigerian, not because I come from Borno or from Imo or Anambra,” he said.
“Once you put your hands on the Quran or the Bible, you are actually taking an oath to actually work for the Nigerian people, wherever they come from, regardless of background.”
On the debate surrounding zoning ahead of the 2027 election, Hayatu-Deen argued that Nigerians should prioritise integrity and leadership quality over regional considerations.
His position differs from prevailing sentiments in some quarters that the presidency should remain in Southern Nigeria for another term following the eight-year administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari from 2015 to 2023.
Hayatu-Deen, however, maintained that the electorate should be allowed to freely decide who leads the country.
“Power truly belongs to the people who are the voters and Nigerians should be given a free hand to make a choice, in terms of who their representatives will be for various elective offices in the country,” he said.
“The pinnacle of these elective offices is the office of the President. And I can tell you with full confidence that I am fully prepared to contest this election. I am certain of myself. And I am very, very confident about the kind of campaign that I am waging.
“I am confident that I will win this campaign and win the election. That’s why I am here. We are talking about the journey,” he emphasised.
On the mode of selecting the ADC presidential candidate, the aspirant said he was comfortable with any process adopted by the party in line with the Electoral Act.
“The party leadership will decide what model of primaries that best suits the needs of the ADC in order for it to win this election hands down. So that’s number one and I will go for whatever the party decides,” he said.
