Presidential aspirant of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dr Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, has promised Nigerians a disciplined and issue-based campaign if he emerges as the party’s candidate for the next presidential election.
Hayatu-Deen gave the assurance on Wednesday in Abuja shortly after undergoing the ADC presidential screening exercise organised by the party’s leadership.
Describing the exercise as smooth and professionally conducted, he said the screening panel carried out a detailed assessment after aspirants submitted their nomination documents to the party’s national secretariat.
“I was screened by the panel established by the party after submitting my completed nomination forms to the national secretariat in line with requirements,” he said.
The aspirant noted that the party was yet to determine whether its presidential candidate would emerge through consensus or direct primaries, adding that he was prepared for either option.
He reiterated his commitment to the party’s constitution and internal democratic processes governing the primaries.
“If I emerge as the party’s nominee, I pledge Nigerians a disciplined and focused campaign that addresses their aspirations at this difficult national moment,” Hayatu-Deen stated.
He listed insecurity, unemployment, inflation, poor infrastructure, unreliable electricity supply and the decline of education and healthcare services among the major challenges confronting the country.
According to him, resolving Nigeria’s socio-economic problems would be at the heart of his campaign programme, alongside broader plans for economic revival and national development.
Hayatu-Deen explained that the screening exercise lasted for about one hour because committee members needed to scrutinise extensive documentation submitted by aspirants.
He added that the panel questioned candidates on governance, leadership capacity, the ADC constitution and the party’s manifesto.
Commenting on the possibility of a consensus arrangement, the presidential hopeful said he would respect any decision reached by the party leadership.
“As a loyal party member, I have signed the code of ethics and will support whichever mode of primaries the party adopts,” he said.
However, he declined to discuss whether he would withdraw from the race if asked to do so, insisting that such matters remained internal party discussions.
Hayatu-Deen also expressed confidence in his readiness for direct primaries, saying he had prepared extensively for the contest.
“You do not enter a process like this without preparation because your credibility, reputation and supporters’ confidence are all at stake,” he remarked.
The aspirant further pledged to assemble a competent and inclusive government if elected president, promising to appoint qualified Nigerians into key positions based on merit and capacity.
He said Nigeria had an abundance of talented professionals and pledged to recruit “the best and brightest” individuals into cabinet positions and government agencies.
