Economist and African Democratic Congress presidential aspirant Mohammed Hayatu-Deen has submitted his presidential nomination form and called on the party to prioritize competence over zoning and regional considerations in selecting its 2027 presidential candidate, describing the presidency as an office that demanded a quintessentially Nigerian leader rather than a regional or ethnic placeholder.
Speaking after the submission in Abuja, Hayatu-Deen expressed unqualified confidence in his ability to contest and win the party’s presidential primary, including against former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and said he was prepared to run a campaign that would demonstrate both his economic expertise and his readiness to lead the country at one of its most critical junctures.
He said the question of whether the primary would be conducted by consensus or direct election was properly a matter for the party leadership to determine in line with the provisions of the Electoral Act, and that whatever mode was chosen, what mattered most was that the outcome produced the candidate best positioned to win the general election.
Atiku Abubakar was separately scheduled to submit his own presidential nomination form the following day.
