Presidential aspirant on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, said Nigeria should consider competence and not zoning, in choosing her president.
Hayatu-Deen is from the Borno State, North East Nigeria, and there have been calls for all political parties to zone its presidential ticket to South, so as to complete the eight-tenure started by President Bola Tinubu in 2023.
But Hayatu-Deen who spoke on Wednesday after returning his presidential nomination forms, said anybody contesting the office of president is “a quintessential Nigerian, not because he come from Borno or from Imo or Anambra.”
He added that the oath of office is taken to “work for the Nigerian people regardless of background.”
The aspirant said there should be a distinction between competence and zoning, adding that 230 million Nigerians 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 stated that Nigeria faces enormous problems ranging from from high inflation, the cost of living, hunger, poverty and disease.
“Children are out of school, health facilities are dilapidated, and an enormous amount of insecurity,” Hayatu-Deen said.
The aspirant said if he is lucky to get the ADC nomination and win the 2027 presidential election, he will alleviate poverty, eliminate insecurity, reduce cost of living, and fight out of school children.
“Power truly belongs to the people. And what we are here to do is to give people a choice in terms of who their representatives will be for various election offices in the country.
“I can tell you with full confidence that I’m fully prepared to contest this election. I’m certain of myself. And I’m very, very confident about the kind of campaign that I’m waging,” he added.
Hayatu-Deen expressed the confidence that he would win the ADC presidential primary, but said the party leadership should decide the model of primaries suitable.
