Atiku Names Key Figures for 2027 Campaign

Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has set up his campaign team for the 2027 general elections.

Atiku, who was Nigeria's vice-president, appointed Austin Akobundu, a retired colonel and senator from Abia Central, as the director-general and campaign manager.

The campaign team was announced in a statement on Thursday by Phrank Shaibu, Atiku's senior special assistant on public communication.

Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, a former governorship candidate in Borno State, will be the chairman of the campaign team. Nasir El-Rufai, a former governor of Kaduna State, was named the deputy chairman.

"Mr Kashim Ibrahim-Imam will chair the Council, with Nasir El-Rufai as Deputy Chairman. Senator Austin Akobundu will serve as Director-General and Campaign Manager, responsible for turning strategy into coordinated action," the statement said.

Atiku also named Dele Momodu, a former presidential aspirant, as head of media and communications. Dino Melaye, a former senator and governorship candidate in Kogi State, will lead the team for contact and mobilization.

The presidential candidate appointed six deputy director-generals to manage different areas, plus 30 other directors.

Mohammed Hayatudeen, a former presidential aspirant, will lead the policy team. The team includes Mohammed Sagagi, a professor, and Kingsley Moghalu, a former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

The statement mentioned that the team will create policy proposals to tackle the country’s problems.

John Oyegun, former national chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), will lead the Campaign Advisory Board.

Atiku stated that the campaign council members would be accountable for their actions. He stressed that the campaign would focus on issues like the cost of living, unemployment, insecurity, and declining purchasing power.

"This is a structure built for work. Every directorate has a duty. Every director has an assignment. Every appointee must account for results.

"Our measure of success will be how clearly we address the cost of living, unemployment, insecurity, and declining purchasing power, and how effectively we organize to make Nigeria affordable again," he said.

Atiku has run for Nigeria’s presidency several times. He began this journey in the 2007 election after serving as vice-president from 1999 to 2007 under President Olusegun Obasanjo.

In the 2007 elections, he ran with the defunct Action Congress (AC) and came in third. He lost to Umaru Musa Yar’Adua of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Muhammadu Buhari of the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP).

In 2019, he was the PDP’s presidential candidate but lost to the current President Muhammadu Buhari of the APC. Atiku got 11,262,978 votes compared to Buhari’s 15,191,847. In 2023, he was the PDP’s candidate again and came second to Bola Tinubu of the APC, who received 8,794,726 votes against Atiku’s 6,984,520.

Before these presidential elections, Atiku also sought the presidential ticket in 1993, 2011, and 2015 but did not secure the nomination.

In the 1993 Social Democratic Party (SDP) presidential primary in Jos, Plateau State, he withdrew before the second ballot and asked his supporters to support Moshood Abiola. He lost the 2011 PDP primary to then-President Goodluck Jonathan and the 2014 APC primary to Buhari before the 2015 election.

Earlier this year, Atiku said this would be his final attempt at the presidency.