The names of African Democratic Congress (NDC) National Secretary, Rauf Aregbesola, and the National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, are missing on the list of the party’s Presidential Campaign Council released yesterday.
On the list are the campaign principals – presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, his running mate, Rotimi Amaechi, national chairman, Senator David Mark and former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai.
El-Rufai is on trial and remains in the ICPC custody.
Also on the list are former presidential aspirant Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, former Central Bank Deputy Governor Prof. Kingsley Moghalu, Senator Dino Melaye and former presidential aide Lauretta Onochie.
A statement by Atiku’s media aide, Phrank Shaibu, said Senator Austin Akobundu will serve as Director-General and Campaign Manager while El-Rufai will serve as Deputy Chairman.
Alhaji Kashim Ibrahim-Imam was named as chairman of the council.
The structure includes a five-member Campaign Advisory Board chaired by former Edo State Governor John Oyegun, a six-member Policy Team headed by Hayatudeen and a seven-member group of Senior Campaign Advisers.
Akobundu will be supported by six Deputy Directors-General overseeing Administration, Operations, Media and Communications, Contact and Mobilization, Diversity and Support Groups, and Technical and Systems.
Dele Momodu will oversee Media and Communications; Dino Melaye, Contact and Mobilisation; Salihu Tanko Yakasai, Diversity and Support Groups; and Lauretta Onochie, Technical and Systems.
The campaign also named five presidential campaign spokespersons. They are Kenneth Okonkwo, Keturah King, Nana Kazaure, Uche Diala and Dahiru Maishanu.
Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communications to the campaign, said the council was designed as a lean structure.
He said the members will drive an issue-based campaign focusing on the cost of living, unemployment, insecurity and declining purchasing power.
He said: ‘Every directorate has a duty. Every director has an assignment. Every appointee must account for results.’
The campaign council is also made up of six Deputy Directors-General and 32 named portfolio heads across the six operational directorates.
Shaibu explained why Aregbesola and Abdullahi are excluded from the council, saying that they are among the party leaders who set it up.
He said: ‘These are National Working Committee (NWC) members who constituted the campaign council.’
It could not be confirmed whether the omission of Aregbesola and Abdullahi from the list is as a result of intrigues within the party.
Aregbesola has been absent from some activities of party chieftains, including the burial of vice presidential running mate Amaechi’s mum in Ubima in Rivers State early this month.
Aregbesola and the ADC also failed to make an impact in the Osun State governorship election last month.
Moghalu: I am not in Atiku’s team
However, Moghalu yesterday rejected his nomination.
In the campaign council, he is listed as a member of the policy team for the 2027 presidential election.
Moghalu said in a statement that he was ‘surprised’ to see his name included in the announcement, adding that he never agreed to serve on the team.
The statement reads: ‘I am surprised to see a statement from Atiku and ADC campaign team including my name as a member of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar’s policy team for the 2027 presidential campaign.
‘I was not consulted and did not give my consent to my name being published as a member of the ADC candidate’s policy team.