Breaking: Atiku Names El-Rufai, Dele Momodu in Lean 2027 Presidential Campaign Council

• .Atiku Abubakar approved a lean National Campaign Council and Presidential Campaign Management Committee ahead of the 2027 general elections
• Kashim Ibrahim-Imam will chair the Council, with former Kaduna governor Nasir El-Rufai serving as Deputy Chairman
• The campaign structure includes six operational directorates and 30 directors, with veteran journalist Dele Momodu heading Media and Communications

Legit.ng journalist Adekunle Dada has over eight years of experience covering metro, government policy, and international issues

FCT, Abuja - The African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has approved the composition of his National Campaign Council and Presidential Campaign Management Committee for the 2027 general elections/

The former Vice President kept the structure deliberately small and focused on policy delivery over political patronage.

The announcement was made on September 24, 2026, through a statement signed by

Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication for the ADC Presidential Campaign Council and Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, disclosed this in a statement issued and made available to Legit.ng on Thursday, September 24, 2026.

Campaign Leadership Structure

Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, a veteran political organiser with decades of experience in national politics, will chair the National Campaign Council.

Nasir El-Rufai, former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and former Governor of Kaduna State, takes the role of Deputy Chairman, with responsibility for high-level political coordination and stakeholder engagement across the country.

Senator Austin Akobundu will serve as Director-General and Campaign Manager, handling the day-to-day running of the campaign.

A serving senator representing Abia Central, retired Army colonel and former Minister of State for Defence, Akobundu will coordinate the various arms of the campaign and enforce discipline across its national structure.

The campaign has been divided into six operational directorates, each led by a Deputy Director-General, with 30 directors assigned specific responsibilities beneath them.

The structure was described as intentionally lean to cut down bureaucracy and ensure clear accountability at every level.

Key appointments across directorates

Veteran journalist and publisher Dele Momodu will head the Media and Communications Directorate as Deputy Director-General, overseeing the campaign's presence across traditional, broadcast and digital platforms. Dino Melaye will also play a role in national outreach and public mobilisation.

The policy team will be coordinated by Mohammed Hayatudeen, an economist and public policy practitioner, working alongside Professor Mohammed Sagagi as Deputy Chairman and Aare Aremijoye as Secretary.

Professor Kingsley Moghalu, former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, will contribute to the campaign's economic and monetary policy capacity.

The Campaign Advisory Council will be chaired by John Oyegun, former Edo State governor and pioneer national chairman of the All Progressives Congress. Former Senator Ben Obi and Lawal Batagarawa will serve as Deputy Chairmen, with Eyitayo Jegede, SAN, as Secretary.

Focus on economic concerns

The statement framed the campaign's lean design as a deliberate signal to Nigerians struggling with the cost of food, transportation, energy, unemployment and insecurity.

Atiku's team said the structure would prioritise policy clarity and measurable results over the distribution of titles.

"This campaign belongs to the Nigerian people," the statement said.

He added that its strength would be judged by the effectiveness of its organisation and how seriously it engages the daily concerns of Nigerians.

Atiku donates N20m to families of 37 miners

Meanwhile, Legit.ng also reported that Atiku visited Minna, Niger State, to condole with the Emir and families of 37 artisanal miners who died in NSCDC custody.

A survivor told Atiku that over 68 detainees were crammed into one small facility and some drank each other's urine to survive.

The ADC presidential candidate used the visit to criticise the Tinubu administration's economic policies and propose a domestic fuel subsidy.