Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and ex-FSB International Bank Managing Director Mohammed Hayatu-Deen have undergone screening by the African Democratic Congress ahead of the party’s 2027 presidential primary.
The screening exercise, which took place behind closed doors at the Transcorp Hilton in Abuja on Wednesday, was overseen by a panel headed by former Cross River State governor, Liyel Imoke, with Cyril Maduabum serving as secretary.
Hayatu-Deen arrived at the venue earlier in the day and spent about an hour before the panel, while Atiku appeared shortly after noon.
Addressing journalists after the exercise, Hayatu-Deen expressed optimism about the process and said he was prepared for any method the party adopts in selecting its flagbearer.
“I spent approximately one hour in the room and it went very well. We are now at a very pivotal moment in the campaign process. At 11 o’clock this morning, I came and I was screened,” he said.
“We are now going to go through a major momentous event in the sense that we’ll either undergo a consensus exercise or go into direct primaries within the short period of time that is available. I stand ready, able, and willing to go through that process.”
The former banker also promised Nigerians a focused and issue-based campaign if he secures the party’s ticket.
“I will like to pledge to the Nigerian people that I will wage a campaign that is disciplined, focused, and geared towards meeting the yearnings and aspirations of Nigerians at a very difficult moment in the nation’s history, given the problems that relate to insecurity, the high cost of living crisis, massive unemployment, the lack of jobs, lack of power, lack of infrastructure, and dilapidated educational and health institutions,” he said.
Speaking on his preparedness for a possible direct primary contest, Hayatu-Deen insisted he had long prepared for the race.
“I’ve been prepared for this for quite some time, so I’m prepared for either eventuality. It is a process that I actually thought through very carefully and profoundly before I went into it,” he added.
“You don’t go into this kind of thing without preparation. You put your credibility and your name on the line. It’s very expensive.”
After meeting with the panel, Atiku briefly addressed reporters, saying only, “The screening went well.”
The former vice president remains one of the country’s leading opposition figures, while Hayatu-Deen is viewed as one of the technocratic voices within the ADC advocating economic reforms and institutional rebuilding.
As of the time this report was filed, former Rivers State governor and ex-Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, had yet to arrive for his screening.
The ADC is expected to conclude consultations soon to decide whether it will adopt a consensus arrangement or conduct direct primaries to choose its presidential candidate for the 2027 election.
