A fresh controversy has emerged within the presidential primary of the African Democratic Congress after presidential aspirant Mohammed Hayatu-Deen announced that he would not attend the declaration of the party’s presidential election results.
In a post shared on X on Tuesday, Hayatu-Deen alleged that there were widespread irregularities during the voting process across parts of the country. He claimed some of the incidents were personally witnessed by him and said he would be consulting with his team on the next line of action.
According to him, concerns over “widespread vote rigging” informed his decision to stay away from the official announcement of the results. The statement has since generated reactions online, with supporters and political observers debating the credibility of the primary process.
Mohammed Hayatu-Deen is a Nigerian economist, banker and businessman who has spent decades in Nigeria’s financial and corporate sector.
He previously served as Chairman of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) and is known for his involvement in banking, investment and economic reform initiatives.
Hayatu-Deen first gained wider political attention during the build-up to the 2023 presidential election when he sought the presidential ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before later stepping down from the race.
In 2026, he officially joined the ADC and declared his intention to contest for the party’s presidential ticket ahead of the 2027 elections.
He has repeatedly campaigned on issues such as insecurity, economic hardship, unemployment and governance reforms, positioning himself as a technocratic candidate with strong economic credentials.
His latest allegations of vote manipulation within the ADC primary may further intensify tensions within the party as members await the next steps from both the leadership and aggrieved aspirants.