2027: Zoning Alone Cannot Solve Nigeria's Problems, Hayatudeen Cautions

Mohammed Hayatudeen, a leading presidential aspirant for the African Democratic Congress, ADC, has expressed concerns that the ongoing debate about zoning is distracting Nigerians from pressing issues that threaten the nation, such as worsening insecurity, economic decline, and massive unemployment.

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During his appearance on Channels Television's Political Paradigm programme, Hayatudeen, a renowned economist, banker, and public policy expert, urged a shift in national discourse towards these critical issues, citing the recent abduction of 416 people and the thousands of citizens killed over the last three years as examples of what truly matters.

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He questioned the relevance of zoning to these life-threatening challenges, asking what the abduction and killing of citizens has to do with zoning, or the struggles of a mother who cannot afford food or a father who cannot send his child to school.

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A statement from Mohammed Hayatudeen Media Office quoted him as emphasizing that Nigeria needs leadership based on competence, character, and empathy, rather than geographical considerations, and that what matters is a leader's capacity, skill, vision, and empathy to deliver for all Nigerians.

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Hayatudeen argued that the country's deepening security crisis is rooted in long-standing economic failures, linking rising violence to decades of poor economic management, which has led to increased poverty, with about 110 million Nigerians now living below the poverty line.

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He stated that the economy has underperformed for at least 20 years, resulting in a five or sixfold increase in poverty, and that nothing happens in a vacuum, implying that there must be an underlying cause for the current insecurity.

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Hayatudeen dismissed claims that the current insecurity is largely election-driven, citing data from think tanks abroad and institutions within Nigeria that contradicts such assertions, and adding that as a numbers guy, he has compared the data and found no evidence to support this narrative.

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He explained his decision to run under the ADC after previously seeking the presidency on the platform of the PDP, saying that the party's ideology, leadership, and manifesto align with his vision for Nigeria, and that its leaders are forthright, tenacious, and experienced.

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Hayatudeen noted that the ADC's emphasis on tackling the cost-of-living crisis, insecurity, job creation, and poverty eradication mirrors both his personal priorities and the needs of ordinary Nigerians, and that the party's leaders have the determination to mobilise everything required to contest and win elections at all levels.

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He expressed concern over what he described as a shrinking democratic space, alleging that actions by the government and its allies are limiting citizens' freedom of political choice, and warning that the government has muzzled the political space, making it difficult for Nigerians to exercise genuine freedom of choice.