By Lateef Ibrahim
Mohammed Hayatu-Deen’s campaign for the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential nomination has received a major boost, with the ADC Vanguard Support Group (ADC VSG), formally endorsing his candidacy at an event in Abuja attended by more than 500 party supporters.
The endorsement, announced at Tobix Garden in Jahi, before a crowd that included 500 ADC members, civil society figures, and supporters from across the geopolitical zones, marks the most significant digital and grassroots show of support yet for any aspirant in the ADC presidential primary race.
Speaking at the event, Convener of the support group, Comrade Abdul Abdulkadir, set out the case for Hayatu-Deen in direct terms, saying, “Mohammed Hayatu-Deen is the candidate this party needs and the leader Nigeria deserves. He has no baggage, no failed attempts, and no factional debts.
“He comes with a forty-year record of building institutions and creating jobs — and that is exactly what it will take to fix this country. ADC Vanguard is proud to stand with MHD”, he said.
On the question of party unity — one of the central challenges facing the ADC as it prepares for 2027 — Abdulkadir was emphatic, saying, “Nigeria does not need another politician. It needs a builder. Mohammed Hayatu-Deen has spent forty years creating jobs, turning around failing institutions, and delivering results that ordinary Nigerians could see and feel.
“As the country faces its worst cost of living crisis in a generation, that track record is not just impressive — it is exactly what the moment demands.
“That is why ADC Vanguard is backing MHD”, he stressed.
Continuing, he said, “The endorsement comes as Hayatu-Deen has rapidly established himself as the most visible and best-organised candidate in the ADC primary.
“Since declaring his candidacy, he has generated over 30 media reports in 24 hours, opened a state-of-the-art campaign headquarters in Abuja, and built the only paid digital advertising operation of any aspirant in the race.
“Today’s endorsement further consolidates his position as the frontrunner.
Abdulkadir closed with a direct message to ADC delegates:
“Nigeria is at a crossroads. The status quo has failed.
“The ADC was built to offer something genuinely different — and Mohammed Hayatu-Deen is that difference. We are calling on every ADC delegate, every party member, and every Nigerian who wants real change to get behind this campaign. The new direction Nigeria needs starts here.”
Responding to the endorsement, Hayatu-Deen said: “I am deeply grateful to the ADC Vanguard Support Group and to every one of the supporters who came to Abuja today. The ADC is not just another political party — it is the vehicle through which Nigeria can finally break from the cycle of recycled faces and broken promises that has held this country back for too long.
‘I am committed to this party, to its mission, and to the Nigerians who are depending on us to get this right. Together, we will give Nigeria the new direction it deserves”, he said.
