… El-Rufai, Dino Melaye, Dele Momodu make list
*Former APC National Chairman to chair Advisory Board
By Chucks Nwonye
Former Vice President and Presidential Candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), His Excellency, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has approved the composition of a lean, people-driven Presidential Campaign Council ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The approval was contained in a press statement issued on Thursday, 24th September, 2026, by Phrank Shaibu, Director, Strategic Communication, ADC Presidential Campaign Council and Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication to Atiku Abubakar.
According to the statement, the campaign structure was deliberately shaped by the realities Nigerians face every day, with emphasis on discipline, efficiency and accountability at a time when families are struggling with rising food prices, transport costs and shrinking incomes.
“Former Vice President and Presidential Candidate of the ADC, Atiku Abubakar has approved a campaign structure shaped by the realities Nigerians face every day. When families are struggling with food prices, transport costs and shrinking incomes, a campaign asking for their trust must show discipline in how it operates,” the statement said.
Under the approved structure, Alhaji Kashim Ibrahim-Imam will chair the Council, with former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, as Deputy Chairman.
Senator Austin Akobundu, former National Organizing Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and one-time Minister, will serve as Director-General and Campaign Manager, with the responsibility of turning strategy into coordinated action across the country.
The statement disclosed that six Deputy Directors-General will lead the operational directorates, working with 30 Directors assigned specific responsibilities to ensure nationwide coverage and effective execution.
In a major highlight of the appointments, veteran journalist and Ovation publisher, Chief Dele Momodu, will head the Media and Communications directorate, while former Senator representing Kogi West, Dino Melaye, will lead Contact and Mobilisation.
For the intellectual and policy engine of the campaign, renowned economist and former presidential candidate, Mohammed Hayatudeen, will chair the Policy Team. He will work with Professor Mohammed Sagagi and other members, including former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria and former presidential candidate, Professor Kingsley Moghalu, to develop practical answers to the problems Nigerians have put before the campaign.
Also, former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former Governor of Edo State, Chief John Odigie Oyegun, will chair the Campaign Advisory Board, bringing his wealth of political experience and elder statesman role to guide the council.
Atiku, according to the statement, emphasized that the new council is not designed for show but for work, with clear deliverables and accountability mechanisms.
“This is a structure built for work. Every directorate has a duty. Every director has an assignment. Every appointee must account for results,” the statement quoted the ADC presidential candidate as saying.
The former Vice President said the success of the campaign will not be measured by noise or flamboyance but by how clearly it addresses the core challenges confronting Nigerians, including cost of living crisis, unemployment, insecurity and declining purchasing power.
“Our measure of success will be how clearly we address the cost of living, unemployment, insecurity and declining purchasing power—and how effectively we organise to make Nigeria affordable again,” Atiku said.
The composition of the council, according to political observers, reflects a broad coalition cutting across party lines and geopolitical zones, bringing together key figures from the PDP, APC, ADC and other political tendencies, in what appears to be Atiku’s strategy to build a national movement to make Nigeria affordable again.
The inclusion of El-Rufai as Deputy Chairman, Akobundu as DG, and heavyweights like Momodu, Melaye, Hayatudeen, Moghalu and Oyegun is seen as a move to combine political mobilisation, media engagement, policy depth and strategic advisory for the 2027 contest.
Phrank Shaibu, who signed the statement, will be serving as Director, Strategic Communication, ADC Presidential Campaign Council and Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication to the former Vice President.
With the approval of the council, the ADC presidential campaign is expected to fully kick off its nationwide consultations and mobilisation in the coming days, as the race for the 2027 presidency gathers momentum.
