Presidential aspirant on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, has said Nigerian youths should reject recycled politicians who have made promises they have not been able to fulfil.
Hayatu-Deen, who spoke at a town hall meeting in Abuja, said Nigeria’s political leadership has failed young Nigerians through years of poor planning, weak governance, and economic neglect.
“Two-thirds of Nigeria’s population is under the age of 35. So whenever politicians talk about Nigeria’s future, they are talking about young Nigerians.
“And the painful truth is this: right now, the future of young Nigerians is being stolen,” he said.
Hayatu-Deen lamented that more than 18 million Nigerian children are out of school, while millions of graduates are unable to find jobs.
According to him, Nigeria’s problem is not a lack of talent, but a failure of leadership.
“The problem has never been the young people of Nigeria. The problem has been leadership, leadership that failed to plan, leadership that failed to invest, leadership that normalised suffering and then told Nigerians this was simply how things are,” he said.
The aspirant challenged ADC to present what he described as “a fresh candidate” capable of defeating the ruling APC and restoring public confidence in governance.
“The ADC will decide whether it is truly serious about winning, whether it is prepared to offer Nigerians a real alternative, and whether it is ready to present a candidate who understands the pain people are living through every day,” he stated.
Hayatu-Deen said he is the only aspirant with an agenda to create jobs, tackle insecurity, and provide. Future of young Nigerians.
“Jobs are not just economic policy. Jobs are a security policy. Every young Nigerian with a job is one less recruit for crime, extremism, banditry, and violence,” he said.
The aspirant told victims of kidnapping that he shares their pains and said his resolve to tackle kidnapping and violent crime is based on his own experience.
“My own sister was abducted and held for three years. So when I say this issue is personal to me, I mean it in a way very few people in public life can understand,” he said.
Hayatu-Deen described the ADC as “the only party built with the welfare of Nigerian citizens at the core of its formation,” and warned that the party risks losing credibility if it embraces what he called “the same old politics.”
“The only way to defeat a fatigued APC is with a fresh candidate. I am that candidate. I carry no baggage. I owe no political godfathers. I am not a product of factional wars,” he said.
