A leading presidential aspirant on the platform of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, has declared that he will not step down for any contender ahead of the party’s 2027 presidential primaries.

Hayatu-Deen stated this in an interview with journalists, where he said Nigeria urgently needs competent and visionary leadership to address worsening economic hardship, insecurity, unemployment, and declining living standards.

Speaking on his chances of securing the ADC presidential ticket despite the presence of political heavyweights such as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, Hayatu-Deen said democracy guarantees every qualified Nigerian the right to contest for public office.

He said his decision to join the race was based on what he described as Nigeria’s prolonged decline in governance and quality of life over the last two decades.

According to him, “For nearly 20 years, Nigerians have endured immense hardship. We have seen rising inflation, massive unemployment, insecurity spreading across the country, and collapsing education and healthcare systems.”

The ADC aspirant described himself as a nationalist committed to delivering good governance regardless of ethnicity, religion, or region.

“I believe every Nigerian matters equally. Leadership should be about delivering the greatest good for the greatest number of people and eradicating poverty,” he said.

On whether he would support another candidate if he fails to secure the party’s ticket, Hayatu-Deen said he remains committed to party loyalty and democratic principles.

“I have already told the party leadership that I trust them to conduct a fair process. Whoever emerges as the candidate will have my full support,” he stated.

He, however, maintained that he would not withdraw his ambition for any aspirant.

“No, they have not approached me. And if anyone does, I will not step down for anybody,” he said.

Speaking on opposition coalition talks ahead of the 2027 elections, Hayatu-Deen said collaboration among opposition parties remained possible and necessary to strengthen democracy and present Nigerians with credible alternatives.

On zoning, the presidential hopeful argued that competence and service delivery should take precedence over ethnic or regional considerations.

“When a pregnant woman is struggling to access medical care, or a young graduate is unemployed, zoning does not solve those immediate problems. Leadership should focus on competence, vision, and service delivery,” he said.

Hayatu-Deen also expressed confidence in the ADC leadership, saying the party had shown resistance to money politics ahead of the primaries.

If elected president, he said his immediate priorities would include reducing the cost-of-living crisis, creating jobs through public works programmes, improving security, and investing in education, healthcare, agriculture, and infrastructure.

He added that Nigeria needs long-term development planning capable of transforming the country within the next 15 years through consistency, discipline, and effective leadership.