2027: Why Atiku named detained El-Rufai deputy campaign chairman — Dele Momodu

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By Adegboyega Adeleye

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A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Dele Momodu, has explained why former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, was named deputy chairman of Atiku Abubakar’s 2027 presidential campaign council despite being in detention.

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Momodu said the appointment was partly a recognition of what he described as El-Rufai’s political sacrifice, insisting that the former governor remained one of the most influential political figures in Northern Nigeria, particularly the Northwest.

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He spoke in an interview on Channels Television’s Morning Brief on Friday.

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Atiku, the ADC presidential candidate, had 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 inclusion, Momodu, who is also a member of the campaign structure, said the appointment was intended to honour the former governor amid his current travails.

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“It is a way of honouring his sacrifice because his travails, I can say, are quite political in nature.

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“But I am very happy that ADC found it necessary to put him on that list,” Momodu said.

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The ADC chieftain also described El-Rufai as a “prisoner of conscience”, alleging that his current detention was politically motivated.

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“That is why Nasiru has become a prisoner of conscience,” he said.

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Momodu said El-Rufai’s present predicament should also be considered against his previous political contributions, particularly his role in the political process that led to the emergence of President Bola Tinubu in 2023.

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“He is in the hands of a government that he helped to midwife,” he said.

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According to him, El-Rufai could have remained outside the country but chose to return despite knowing that he could be arrested.

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“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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He maintained that the former Kaduna governor remained politically relevant despite controversies surrounding his tenure in office.

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“Our attitude [is] that no human being, no soul, is perfect, but Malam Nasiru El-Rufai remains one of the most formidable political figures from Northern Nigeria, especially the Northwest,” Momodu said.

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