By Joseph Erunke

A leading presidential aspirant on the platform of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Mohammed Hayatudeen, has declared that the ongoing debate over zoning is diverting Nigerians’ attention from urgent, life-threatening challenges confronting the nation.

Speaking on the Political Paradigm programme on Channels Television, the renowned economist, banker and public policy expert called for a decisive shift in national discourse toward what he described as the real issues: worsening insecurity, economic decline and massive unemployment.

“Last week, 416 people were abducted and threatened with execution. What has that got to do with zoning? The thousands of our fellow citizens killed over the last three years, what has that got to do with zoning? The mother who cannot afford food, the father who cannot send his child to school, what has any of that got to do with zoning?” He queried.

A statement by Mohammed Hayatudeen Media Office quoted him as insisting that “Nigeria needs leadership anchored not on geographical considerations but on competence, character and empathy.”

“It doesn’t matter where you come from. What matters is that you have the capacity, the skill, the vision and the deep empathy to deliver for every single Nigerian,” he said.

He argued that the country’s deepening security crisis is rooted in long-standing economic failures, linking rising violence to decades of poor economic management.

“Nothing happens in a vacuum. There has to be an underlying cause. The economy has been under-managed and has underperformed for at least 20 years.

“Consequently, poverty has increased five or sixfold, with about 110 million Nigerians now living below the poverty line,” he stated.

The ADC chieftain dismissed claims that the current insecurity is largely election-driven, saying available data contradicts such assertions.

“I am a numbers guy. I have compared the data with think tanks abroad and institutions within Nigeria. The evidence does not support that narrative,” he added.

On his decision to run under the ADC after previously seeking the presidency on the platform of the PDP, Hayatudeen said the party’s ideology, leadership and manifesto align with his vision for Nigeria.

“Their leaders are forthright, tenacious and experienced. They have the determination to mobilise everything required to contest and win elections at all levels,” he said.

He 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.

Hayatudeen also 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.

“What the government has done, through surrogates and instruments of state, is to muzzle the political space, making it difficult for Nigerians to exercise genuine freedom of choice,” he warned.