Mohammed Hayatu-Deen has announced that he will not pursue a legal challenge against the outcome of the African Democratic Congress presidential primary of May 25, following a meeting with party presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar at Hayatu-Deen’s Lagos residence, signaling a significant step in Atiku’s effort to reconcile his rivals and build a unified opposition platform.

In a post-primary statement titled “My Campaign, The Silent Majority, and the Future of Our Democracy,” Hayatu-Deen said his campaign had been a movement inspired by Nigerians who still believed in competent, principled, and visionary leadership. While acknowledging disappointment with how the primary was conducted, he said the need for a strong and united opposition must remain greater than any individual’s ambition.

He said he had, on May 26, publicly stated that he would not attend the announcement of results due to reports of widespread vote rigging that he said he had partly observed himself, and had challenged how the ADC could criticize INEC for election interference while tolerating the same practice internally. He had at that time reserved his right to take advice on next steps.

Following his meeting with Atiku, he said the larger task of building a stronger, fairer, and more prosperous Nigeria continued and was worthy of collective effort, urging Nigerians not to accept dysfunction as normal.