By Luminous Jannamike

ABUJA — A support group within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has thrown its weight behind presidential aspirant Mohammed Hayatu-Deen at an event in Abuja attended by more than 500 party members, civil society figures and supporters from across the country.

The move offers an early indication of how the party’s presidential contest is beginning to take shape, with organised blocs of support lining up behind aspirants as the ADC moves towards its primaries and the 2027 elections.

At the event, Convener of the ADC Vanguard Support Group (ADC VSG), Comrade A.A. Abdulkadir, formally announced the decision, while Hayatu-Deen responded with a message of appreciation and commitment to the party.

“Mohammed Hayatu-Deen is the candidate this party needs and the leader Nigeria deserves. He has no baggage, no failed attempts, and no factional debts. He comes with a forty-year record of building institutions and creating jobs; and that is exactly what it will take to fix this country. ADC Vanguard is proud to stand with MHD,” Abdulkadir said.

The announcement was made in Abuja, before a crowd that included ADC members and supporters drawn from the geopolitical zones.

On party unity, Abdulkadir said:
“Nigeria does not need another politician. It needs a builder. Mohammed Hayatu-Deen has spent forty years creating jobs, turning around failing institutions, and delivering results that ordinary Nigerians could see and feel. As the country faces its worst cost of living crisis in a generation, that track record is not just impressive, it is exactly what the moment demands. That is why ADC Vanguard is backing MHD.”

Since declaring his candidacy in April, Hayatu-Deen has expanded his campaign operations, opening a headquarters in Abuja and stepping up outreach within the party.

Responding, Hayatu-Deen said:
“I am deeply grateful to the ADC Vanguard Support Group and to every one of the supporters who came to Abuja today. The ADC is not just another political party; it is the vehicle through which Nigeria can finally break from the cycle of recycled faces and broken promises that has held this country back for too long. I am committed to this party, to its mission, and to the Nigerians who are depending on us to get this right. Together, we will give Nigeria the new direction it deserves.”

The ADC Vanguard Support Group is an independent support group within the party. Hayatu-Deen, a former Chairman of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, NESG, declared his presidential ambition in April 2026.