By Ade Oyeyemi
A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, Dele Momodu, has explained the decision by the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, to appoint former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, as deputy chairman of his campaign council for the 2027 election.
Momodu said the appointment was intended to recognise what he described as El-Rufai’s sacrifices and political travails.
He spoke on Friday during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, following the unveiling of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council by Atiku.
Atiku had on Thursday inaugurated the campaign council as the party stepped up preparations for the 2027 general election.
Former Borno State Governor, Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, was named chairman of the council, while El-Rufai was appointed his deputy.
Explaining the choice, Momodu said El-Rufai’s circumstances had made the appointment significant, arguing that the former governor had endured what he characterised as politically motivated difficulties.
“It is a way of honouring his sacrifice because his travails, I can say, are quite political in nature,” Momodu said.
He further claimed that El-Rufai had willingly returned to Nigeria despite being aware that he could face arrest.
“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,” he added.
Momodu also criticised the bail conditions reportedly imposed on the former governor, describing them as excessively difficult and questioning why El-Rufai was facing what he called a painful experience under the administration.
The ADC chieftain further argued that El-Rufai played a significant role in the political developments that preceded President Bola Tinubu’s emergence.
“If not for him, I’m sure President Bola Tinubu will not be in the office today,” Momodu said.
El-Rufai, who served as Kaduna State governor from 2015 to 2023, has remained a prominent figure in the political realignment ahead of the 2027 elections.
