Isaac Samuel
The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has approved the composition of a lean National Campaign Council and Presidential Campaign Management Committee ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The campaign structure includes former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai; former Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal; veteran journalist and publisher, Dele Momodu; former Edo State Governor and pioneer National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), John Oyegun; former Central Bank of Nigeria Deputy Governor, Kingsley Moghalu; and former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Austin Akobundu.
In a statement issued Sunday by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication, ADC Presidential Campaign Council, the campaign said the structure was deliberately kept lean to reflect the economic realities confronting Nigerians.
The council will be chaired by Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, while El-Rufai will serve as deputy chairman.
Akobundu, a serving senator representing Abia Central and retired Nigerian Army colonel, will serve as Director-General and Campaign Manager.
According to the statement, Akobundu will be responsible for the day-to-day management and coordination of the campaign, including translating strategy into action and ensuring cohesion and accountability across its national structure.
The campaign council has been organised into six major operational directorates, each headed by a Deputy Director-General, with 30 directors assigned specific responsibilities.
The Media and Communications Directorate will be headed by Momodu as Deputy Director-General, with responsibility for coordinating the campaign’s media and communications activities across traditional, broadcast and digital platforms.
The campaign also listed Dino Melaye among those playing key roles in its wider national outreach, mobilisation and public engagement efforts.
The policy architecture of the campaign will be coordinated by Mohammed Hayatudeen, an economist, banker and public policy practitioner who heads the Policy Team.
He will work with Professor Mohammed Sagagi, Deputy Chairman, and Aare Aremijoye, Secretary, on developing policy proposals around the concerns of Nigerians.
Moghalu, a former CBN deputy governor, economist and public policy expert, will also contribute to the campaign’s policy platform, particularly in the areas of monetary policy, financial-sector governance, international affairs and economic development.
The Campaign Advisory Council will be chaired by Oyegun, with former Senator Ben Obi and Lawal Batagarawa as deputy chairmen and Eyitayo Jegede, SAN, as secretary.
The campaign said the structure was designed to reduce duplication and bureaucracy by giving each office clearly defined responsibilities.
The statement said: “There will be no room for ornamental appointment.
“Every directorate has a responsibility. Every director has an assignment. And every level of the campaign structure will be expected to account for results.”
The campaign said its activities would focus on issues affecting Nigerians, including the cost of food, transportation and energy, unemployment, insecurity, declining purchasing power and governance.
It said the structure was intended to reflect what it described as a people-driven campaign rather than one built around political patronage and privileges.
“This campaign belongs to the Nigerian people. Its strength will not be measured by the number of titles it distributes, but by the effectiveness of its organisation, the clarity of its policies and the seriousness with which it engages the concerns of Nigerians,” the statement said.
The full composition of the National Campaign Council and Presidential Campaign Management Committee was expected to provide further details of the six directorates and the 30 directors.
