Ex-Presidential Aspirant Hayatu-Deen Dumps PDP, Joins ADC Ahead of 2027

From PDP to ADC — a sign of the times

Former presidential aspirant Mohammed Hayatu-Deen has left the Peoples Democratic Party and joined the African Democratic Congress, citing worsening insecurity, the rising cost of living, and a democratic space that keeps shrinking.

Hayatu-Deen announced the move on Sunday through a statement from his media office. He said the PDP no longer offers a realistic path to solving the country’s problems.

“Like many of you, I want a safer, more prosperous future for Nigeria, but the nation faces fundamental problems that are being ignored,” he said. “This was the motivating force behind my entry into politics in 2022, when I threw my hat into the ring as a presidential aspirant in the PDP in what was then a wide-open democratic space.”

Why he left

Hayatu-Deen, an economist and businessman, quit the PDP presidential race in 2022, calling the process “obscenely monetised.” Now he says those hopes have been met with “bitter disappointment.”

He warned that voices are being stifled and institutions strained, arguing that the space for credible opposition is being shut down. “Democracy must offer Nigerians genuine options,” he said, adding that this only strengthens his resolve to stay in politics rather than walk away.

ADC gathers momentum

The defection adds another big name to the ADC, which has been attracting politicians disillusioned with both the PDP and the ruling APC. Former Kano State governor Rabiu Kwankwaso recently brought his Kwankwasiyya movement into the fold, and the party is shaping up as the main opposition coalition heading into 2027.

But there are cracks. A leadership fight between former Senate President David Mark and former Osun governor Rauf Aregbesola has landed in the Supreme Court, with Mark’s appeal due for hearing this week.

Hayatu-Deen said he would campaign hard for the ADC: “From this day onwards until the 2027 elections, I will campaign relentlessly as a party member, to help the ADC win the elections and deliver the better future Nigeria desperately deserves.”

Sources: Punch, Daily Post, Naija News