A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, Dele Momodu, has explained that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s decision to appoint former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai as deputy chairman of his 2027 Presidential Campaign Council was partly intended to recognise what he described as El-Rufai’s political sacrifices.
Momodu, who is serving as Deputy Director-General of the campaign’s Media and Communications Directorate, made the remarks during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Friday.
Atiku, the ADC presidential candidate, unveiled his campaign council on Thursday, appointing Kashim Ibrahim-Imam as chairman and El-Rufai as deputy chairman. Senator Austin Akobundu was named Director-General and Campaign Manager, while Momodu was appointed to oversee media and communications.
Explaining El-Rufai’s inclusion, Momodu said the appointment was a way of honouring the former Kaduna governor, particularly in view of the political and legal difficulties he is currently facing.
“It is a way of honouring his sacrifice because his travails, I can say, are quite political in nature,” Momodu said.
El-Rufai is currently involved in legal proceedings and has denied wrongdoing. Momodu also criticised the bail conditions attached to the former governor’s case, describing them as excessive. His characterisation of the case as politically motivated is his own assessment and has not been established as a fact by the court.
Momodu also pointed to El-Rufai’s decision to return to Nigeria despite, according to him, knowing that he could face arrest.
“He could have stayed away from the country. He chose to come back to the country,” Momodu said, arguing that the decision demonstrated a commitment to the country.
The ADC chieftain further described El-Rufai as an influential political figure in Northern Nigeria, particularly the North-West. He said the former governor’s political experience and connections could remain relevant to the campaign even if his current legal circumstances limit his ability to participate directly in campaign activities.
According to Momodu, El-Rufai’s political relevance also predates his current relationship with the ADC. He noted that the former governor supported President Bola Tinubu during the 2023 presidential election and argued that El-Rufai had played an important role in the political process that produced the current administration.
“If not for him, I’m sure President Bola Tinubu would not be in office today,” Momodu said.
The claim about El-Rufai’s contribution to Tinubu’s emergence is Momodu’s political assessment and was not independently established in the report.
Atiku’s campaign structure has six operational directorates and 30 directors, according to the announcement. The campaign said the structure was deliberately kept lean, with responsibilities assigned to specific officials.
The campaign said its areas of focus would include the cost of living, unemployment, insecurity, declining purchasing power and governance.
Other prominent figures named in the structure include former APC National Chairman John Oyegun, who will chair the Campaign Advisory Council, and former senator Dino Melaye, who will be involved in contact and mobilisation.
The appointment of El-Rufai comes as political parties and presidential contenders prepare for the 2027 general elections, with campaign structures increasingly being assembled ahead of the formal electioneering period.
For the ADC, El-Rufai’s appointment places a former senior figure of the APC-era political establishment in a senior position within Atiku’s opposition campaign structure. The political significance of the appointment, however, will depend on how the campaign structure operates and the extent to which El-Rufai is able to participate in its activities while his legal proceedings continue.
