Presidential aspirant of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, has challenged fellow aspirants in the party’s presidential race, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, to publicly declare their commitment to the ADC’s newly introduced Governance Principles and Code of Ethics, known as The Orange Book.
Hayatu-Deen, who was recently screened by the party’s Presidential Screening Committee, said one of the most remarkable aspects of the ADC’s screening process was that every presidential and governorship aspirant was issued a copy of The Orange Book and required to affirm its principles.
In posts shared on his social media handles, Hayatu-Deen described the document as “perhaps the first of its kind in modern Nigerian politics,” saying it represents a binding ethical covenant that rejects self-serving politics and places service to the Nigerian people at the centre of public office.
“The Orange Book is not a slogan. It is a declaration that public office is not for self-enrichment, personal glory, or political entitlement, but for service to the Nigerian people,” he said.
According to him, aspirants seeking the party’s mandate are expected to affirm principles of integrity, transparency, accountability, merit, discipline, rejection of corruption, opposition to vote-buying and godfatherism, and a commitment to placing public interest above personal ambition.
Hayatu-Deen noted that two provisions of the document particularly resonated with him: “Leadership is measured not by individual legacy, but by the enduring impact of completed, purposeful, and people-centred action,” and, “I am a public servant, not a ruler of Nigerians.”
“These are not ordinary political declarations. They are standards that every leader, irrespective of political party, should be willing to uphold,” he stated.
The economist and former Chairman of the Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG) publicly affirmed his commitment to abide by both the spirit and letter of the ADC’s Code of Ethics, while calling on other aspirants in the race to do the same openly and without reservation.
“Because Nigerians deserve transparency from those who seek to lead them, I believe every aspirant seeking the mandate of our great party should publicly declare whether they are willing to uphold these standards,” he said.
Hayatu-Deen argued that Nigeria’s crisis extends beyond the economy and insecurity, insisting that the country is also battling a crisis of leadership, accountability, and public trust.
“Nigeria needs a different political culture rooted in service, responsibility, competence, and moral courage. We must begin to change that,” he added.
