A presidential aspirant on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Alhaji Mohammed Hayatudeen, has urged Nigerians to shift focus from the ongoing debate on zoning to the country’s pressing survival issues, including insecurity, economic collapse, and unemployment. Speaking on the Political Paradigm programme on Channels Television, Hayatudeen argued that the national conversation is being distracted by political geography when the real crisis lies in the suffering of ordinary citizens. He emphasized that over 416 people were abducted in a single week, with many threatened with execution, and questioned how such tragedies relate to zoning. He also pointed to the thousands killed in the past three years, asking what connection that has to regional rotation of power.
Hayatudeen highlighted the struggles of everyday Nigerians—mothers unable to afford food and fathers unable to send their children to school—challenging the relevance of zoning in addressing these urgent realities. He stressed that leadership should be defined by character, competence, and empathy, not by geographic origin. “It doesn’t matter where you come from,” he said. “What matters is that you have the capacity, the skill, the vision and the deep empathy to deliver for every single Nigerian.” He linked Nigeria’s worsening security crisis directly to decades of economic mismanagement, stating that the economy has underperformed for at least 20 years, leading to a five to six-fold rise in poverty.
According to Hayatudeen, approximately 110 million Nigerians now live below the poverty line, a situation that fuels insecurity. He rejected the claim that current violence is election-driven, citing data from both Nigerian institutions and international think tanks that do not support this narrative. “I am a numbers guy,” he said, asserting that the evidence contradicts the election-related insecurity theory. Hayatudeen also explained his decision to contest under the ADC platform, noting that the party’s constitution, manifesto, and leadership align with his vision for Nigeria. He praised ADC leaders as forthright, tenacious, and experienced, capable of mobilizing resources to win elections at all levels.
He further stated that the ADC’s focus on the cost of living, insecurity, job creation, and poverty eradication mirrors the priorities of ordinary Nigerians. Hayatudeen also raised alarm over what he described as the deliberate suppression of Nigeria’s political space. “What the government has done, through surrogates and the instruments of state, is to muzzle the political space, making it impossible for Nigerians to exercise genuine freedom of choice,” he warned. His remarks underscore a growing concern among political actors about the shrinking democratic space in Nigeria. As the 2023 election approaches, Hayatudeen’s call for a shift in national discourse may influence how voters weigh their choices beyond regional affiliations.
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