Atiku unveils ADC campaign council, Names Akobundu DG, El-Rufai Deputy Chairman

Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has named Senator Augustine Okwudiri Akobundu as the Director-General of the Presidential Campaign Council of the party for the 2027 general election.

The announcement was made yesterday by Phrank Shaibu, the Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council.

According to Shaibu, Akobundu will coordinate the party’s campaign structures nationwide and oversee the political and operational activities of the campaign.

The campaign council will be chaired by Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, while former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, will serve as Deputy Chairman.

The council is structured around six major operational directorates, each headed by a Deputy Director-General, with 30 directors assigned specific responsibilities.

Veteran journalist and publisher, Dele Momodu, will head the Media and Communications Directorate as Deputy Director-General. Former Kogi West Senator, Dino Melaye, will be involved in national outreach, mobilisation and public engagement.

Economist and banker, Mohammed Hayatudeen, is expected to coordinate the campaign’s policy structure, while former Central Bank of Nigeria Deputy Governor, Professor Kingsley Moghalu, is also listed as a member of the policy team.

Former Edo State Governor and pioneer National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), John Oyegun, will chair the Campaign Advisory Council.

Shaibu said Akobundu’s appointment was intended to ensure that the various arms of the campaign operated with discipline, coordination and clearly defined responsibilities.

Akobundu is a retired Colonel of the Nigerian Army and a former Minister of State for Defence. He currently represents Abia Central Senatorial District in the Senate.

A graduate of the Nigerian Defence Academy, he held various command and staff positions in the Army before retiring in 2000.

He later served as Chairman of the Board of Management of the University College Hospital, Ibadan, before his appointment as Minister of State for Defence under former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015.

Akobundu has also held several party positions, including National Vice Chairman, South-East, Zonal Chairman and National Organising Secretary.

Shaibu said the senator’s military, administrative, political and legislative experience would be valuable in coordinating the campaign’s nationwide operations.

He added that the campaign structure was designed to remain lean, with clearly defined roles and measurable outcomes.

Akobundu’s appointment is part of the unveiling of the ADC National Campaign Council and Presidential Campaign Management Committee as the party prepares for the 2027 general elections.