Why Atiku named El-Rufai in ADC campaign council — Dele Momodu

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A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dele Momodu, has explained that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s decision to appoint former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai as deputy chairman of his 2027 Presidential Campaign Council was partly to honour what he described as El-Rufai’s sacrifices.

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Momodu, who is Deputy Director-General of the campaign’s Media and Communications Directorate, made the remarks while speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Friday.

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Atiku on Thursday unveiled his campaign council, naming Kashim Ibrahim-Imam as chairman and El-Rufai as deputy chairman.

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Explaining El-Rufai’s appointment, Momodu said, “It is a way of honouring his sacrifice because his travails, I can say, are quite political in nature.”

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He also argued that El-Rufai’s decision to return to Nigeria despite knowing that he could face arrest demonstrated his commitment to the country.

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“He’s being held down not because he has committed any crime. He could have stayed away from the country. He chose to come back to the country. He knew he was going to be arrested, and he was arrested,” Momodu said.

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El-Rufai is currently facing legal proceedings, in which he has denied wrongdoing. Momodu criticised the bail conditions attached to the former governor’s case, describing them as excessive.

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“The bail conditions given to him are so horrendous that even his enemies would wonder why he has to go through such a painful experience in the hands of a government that he helped to midwife,” he said.

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Momodu also highlighted El-Rufai’s political influence, claiming that the former governor played an important role in the emergence of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election.

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“If not for him, I’m sure President Bola Tinubu would not be in office today,” Momodu said.

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The ADC chieftain said El-Rufai’s inclusion in the campaign structure reflected the former governor’s political relevance and the role he could play as the opposition party prepares for the 2027 general elections.

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The campaign council also includes former APC National Chairman John Oyegun, Momodu, Dino Melaye, and other political figures and party stakeholders.

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