A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, 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 in recognition of what he described as El-Rufai’s political sacrifices.
Momodu, who serves as Deputy Director-General of the campaign’s Media and Communications Directorate, spoke on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Friday, a day after Atiku unveiled his campaign council.
Atiku named Kashim Ibrahim-Imam as Chairman of the council, while El-Rufai was appointed Deputy Chairman. Senator Austin Akobundu was named Director-General and Campaign Manager.
Explaining El-Rufai’s inclusion, Momodu said the appointment was a way of recognising the former governor’s political experience and what he described as the difficulties he had faced.
“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 facing legal proceedings over allegations he has denied. In April 2026, a Federal High Court in Kaduna granted him bail in a case brought by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, with conditions attached to his release.
Momodu argued that El-Rufai’s decision to remain in Nigeria despite the legal proceedings demonstrated what he described as his commitment to the country.
“He could have stayed away from the country. He chose to come back to the country. He knew he was going to be arrested, and he was arrested,” he said.
He also criticised the bail conditions imposed on the former governor, describing them as excessive.
Beyond the legal controversy, Momodu pointed to El-Rufai’s political experience and influence, particularly in northern Nigeria, as factors that made him significant to the campaign structure. Channels Television also reported Momodu’s description of El-Rufai as a prominent political figure from the North-West.
The appointment gives El-Rufai a senior role in the ADC campaign as the party prepares for the 2027 presidential election. Atiku’s campaign council is structured around six operational directorates and 30 directors, with the campaign saying the arrangement is intended to provide defined responsibilities and coordination.
Other prominent figures in the structure include veteran journalist Dele Momodu, former Senator Dino Melaye and former APC National Chairman John Oyegun.
However, the campaign’s announcement has also generated a separate development, with former Central Bank of Nigeria Deputy Governor Kingsley Moghalu rejecting his inclusion in the campaign’s policy team, saying he was not consulted and had not consented to the appointment.