Former President Goodluck Jonathan played host to the presidential aspirant of the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC), Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, at his Abuja residence. This meeting occurred barely 48 hours after intense calls for Jonathan to return to the presidency.
Meeting Details
Jonathan had earlier assured a mammoth crowd urging him to contest the presidency that he would consult widely and revert at the appropriate time. He lost a second bid to the late former President Muhammadu Buhari during the 2015 general elections.
According to a statement from Hayatu-Deen's media office, both men held discussions on the state of the nation and the outlook for Nigeria's 2027 general elections. The meeting was held behind closed doors and was described as a reunion of two men with a long history of collaboration in public service.
Historical Collaboration
When Jonathan served as Vice President, Hayatu-Deen was a member of the National Council on Privatization and chaired the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE). He subsequently served on the Presidential Advisory Committee during Jonathan's tenure as Acting President and later as President.
The statement noted that the two men have held each other in the highest regard since those years of working together.
Presidential Ambition
Hayatu-Deen, described as a renowned economist and banker with a spanning career in both the public and private sectors, called on the former President to formally inform him of his decision to seek the presidency on the platform of the ADC. He had collected his presidential nomination form from the party's national secretariat the previous evening.
Hayatu-Deen saluted Jonathan's statesmanly role across the African continent, where the former President continues to be a prominent voice for the deepening of democracy and the strengthening of electoral integrity. The former president warmly received him and extended his best wishes for the endeavour ahead.
The statement added that Hayatu-Deen would bring a lifetime of distinguished public and private sector service to the Presidency. It is this experience, across a 40-year career of creating jobs and turning around organisations, that means he can end insecurity, reduce the cost of living and create new employment opportunities for all Nigerians.
