Atiku Unveils 69-Member Campaign Council, Names El-Rufai Deputy Chairman

•‘I Was Not Consulted’ — Moghalu Rejects Campaign Role

•Atiku Unfit to Handle Nigeria’s Treasury, Says APC

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has unveiled a 69-member campaign council for the 2027 presidential election, naming former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai as Deputy Chairman.

Atiku, who is the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress(ADC), also appointed Kashim Ibrahim-Imam as Chairman of the National Campaign Council and Senator Austin Akobundu as Director-General and Campaign Manager.

The campaign structure was announced on Thursday by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communications of the campaign council and Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication to Atiku. It will operate through six major directorates with 30 directors assigned to specific responsibilities.

The campaign said the lean structure was designed to reflect the economic hardship facing Nigerians and avoid unnecessary duplication of roles.

It added that the emphasis would be on clear responsibilities, accountability and effective coordination rather than the creation of political offices for their own sake.

“The size and character of the Council deliberately reflect the mood of the nation and the severe economic realities confronting millions of Nigerians,” the campaign stated.

El-Rufai, a former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and two-term governor of Kaduna State, is expected to handle high-level political coordination and stakeholder engagement.

Akobundu, who represents Abia Central in the Senate, will oversee the day-to-day operations of the campaign. He is a former Nigerian Army colonel and former Minister of State for Defence.

The campaign also appointed veteran journalist Dele Momodu as Deputy Director-General of its Media and Communications Directorate, while former senator Dino Melaye was assigned a role in national contact, mobilisation and public engagement.

The Policy Team will be chaired by economist and banker Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, with Professor Mohammed Sagagi as Deputy Chairman and Aare Aremijoye as Secretary. Former CBN Deputy Governor Professor Kingsley Moghalu was listed among members of the team.

However, Moghalu rejected the appointment shortly after the campaign structure was made public, saying he was neither consulted nor asked to approve the use of his name.

“I was not consulted and did not give my consent to my name being published as a member of the ADC candidate’s policy team,” Moghalu said.

He further stated that he was not a member of Atiku’s policy team in any capacity, including an unofficial or advisory role.

The former CBN deputy governor, who contested the 2019 presidential election under the Young Progressives Party(YPP), said he left partisan politics in 2022.

“I am not a member or sympathiser of any political party in Nigeria,” he stated.

Moghalu said his current engagements include serving as President of the Institute for Governance and Economic Transformation(IGET) Africa and Chief Executive Officer of Sogato Strategies.

He maintained that remaining outside partisan politics did not mean abandoning his commitment to Nigeria.

“I remain committed to my country, Nigeria and its progress, but such commitment does not have to entail ANY partisan alignment. I have adopted the path of statesmanship, not partisanship,” he said.

The controversy over the campaign council came as the ruling All Progressives Congress(APC) launched a separate attack on Atiku’s presidential bid, questioning his record in public office and warning against handing him control of the national treasury.

APC National Publicity Secretary Felix Morka, in a statement issued on Thursday, cited controversies surrounding the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project, the Siemens bribery investigation, the William Jefferson case, the Petroleum Technology Development Fund(PTDF) funds controversy and a 2010 United States Senate investigation into suspicious financial transactions.

Morka argued that the issues should form part of public scrutiny of Atiku as he seeks the presidency for the 2027 election. The allegations are the APC’s claims, and Atiku has previously denied wrongdoing in relation to corruption allegations levelled against him.

“From the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project and the Siemens bribery scandal to the William Jefferson case, the PTDF funds controversy, and the US Senate investigation into suspicious financial transactions, Atiku’s name is engraved ingloriously on files and dossiers of onshore and offshore financial scandals,” Morka stated.

The APC also criticised Atiku’s position on petrol subsidy, accusing him of changing his position after previously supporting its removal. Atiku has said he would restore the subsidy if elected, presenting the policy as a possible relief measure for Nigerians facing economic hardship.

Morka further cited comments attributed to former President Olusegun Obasanjo about his decision to choose Atiku as his running mate in 1999.

The APC spokesman described Atiku as “categorically unfit” for the presidency and urged Nigerians to keep him away from the national treasury.

The campaign council, meanwhile, said its policy agenda would focus on issues including the rising cost of living, unemployment, insecurity and declining purchasing power.

The unveiling marks the formal establishment of Atiku’s national campaign machinery, setting the stage for wider political mobilisation and policy messaging ahead of the 2027 presidential election.