* Says Nigeria cannot afford another experiment
By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja
The Northern Economic League (NEL), a coalition of northern professionals, economists, business leaders, academics, farmers, youth advocates, and policy stakeholders, convened by Dr. Habib Bala Abdullah, has endorsed frontline presidential aspirant and economist, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, for the presidency under the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The group said this in a statement issued on Tuesday in Abuja by Dr. Habib Bala Abdullah in Abuja.
It explained that its decision followed extensive consultations and a careful evaluation of the leading presidential contenders, against the backdrop of Nigeria’s worsening economic hardship, rising insecurity, mass unemployment, and deepening poverty, particularly across Northern Nigeria.
According to the League, Hayatu-Deen stands out as the only candidate currently speaking directly and consistently to the real anxieties confronting ordinary Nigerians.
The League said, “The North today is carrying a dangerous burden of poverty, insecurity, unemployment, and hopelessness.
‘Entire communities are under economic siege. Farmers cannot safely go to their farms.
‘Young people are graduating into frustration. Families are cutting down on meals.
“Yet many politicians continue to speak in slogans instead of solutions,” the statement read.
The group stated that after reviewing the positions, competence, experience, and public interventions of various aspirants, Hayatu-Deen emerged as the most serious-minded candidate with a clear understanding of the scale of Nigeria’s economic and security crisis.
It said, “We did not arrive at this endorsement emotionally. We arrived at it rationally. We asked ourselves a simple question: who among those seeking power actually understands the depth of the crisis facing Nigeria, especially Northern Nigeria? The answer, repeatedly, was Mohammed Hayatu-Deen.”
The League praised Hayatu-Deen’s emphasis on tackling the cost-of-living crisis, creating jobs at scale, restoring investor confidence, rebuilding productive sectors of the economy, and confronting insecurity through economic inclusion and institutional reform.
Continuing, it said, “At a time when millions of Nigerians are asking how to survive the next month, Hayatu-Deen is one of the few candidates asking how Nigeria can become productive again.
“While others are discussing political arithmetic, he is discussing household economics. While others are counting delegates, he is counting unemployed young Nigerians”, it stressed.
The Northern Economic League warned that the 2027 election must not become another contest driven by sentiment, entitlement, or recycled political calculations.
“Nigeria does not need another ceremonial president. Nigeria needs a problem-solver. The next election cannot be about whose turn it is. It must be about who can stop the bleeding”, it said.
The group described Hayatu-Deen as a bridge between competence and credibility, noting that his background in economics, finance, and institutional leadership gives him a deeper appreciation of what is required to stabilise the country and restore public confidence.
“The era of electing leaders based on noise, tribe, or old political mythology must come to an end. Hunger does not know tribe. Inflation does not know religion. Insecurity does not ask for party membership before destroying lives”, it declared.
Calling on delegates of the ADC and Nigerians across political divides to rally behind Hayatu-Deen’s candidacy, the group said the country stands at a defining crossroads.
“This is not the time for comfortable politics. This is the time for courageous choices. History will not forgive those who saw the danger ahead and still chose familiarity over competence”, it declared.
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