24/09/2026
Atiku Appoints Akobundu DG of ADC Presidential Campaign Council
Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has appointed Senator Augustine Okwudiri Akobundu as Director-General of the party’s Presidential Campaign Council ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The appointment was announced on Thursday by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council.
Shaibu said Akobundu would coordinate the party’s campaign structures nationwide and oversee its political and operational activities.
The campaign council will be chaired by Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, with former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, serving as Deputy Chairman.
The council will operate through six major directorates, each headed by a Deputy Director-General, with 30 directors assigned specific responsibilities.
Veteran journalist and publisher, Dele Momodu, will head the Media and Communications Directorate, while former Kogi West Senator, Dino Melaye, will be responsible for national outreach, mobilisation and public engagement.
Economist and banker, Mohammed Hayatudeen, is expected to coordinate the campaign’s policy structure, with former Central Bank of Nigeria Deputy Governor, Professor Kingsley Moghalu, also listed as a member of the policy team.
Former Edo State Governor and pioneer National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), John Oyegun, will chair the Campaign Advisory Council.
Shaibu said Akobundu’s appointment was aimed at ensuring discipline, coordination and clearly defined responsibilities across the various arms of the campaign.
Akobundu, a retired Colonel of the Nigerian Army and former Minister of State for Defence, currently represents Abia Central Senatorial District in the Senate.
A graduate of the Nigerian Defence Academy, he held several command and staff positions in the Army before retiring in 2000. He later served as Chairman of the Board of Management of the University College Hospital, Ibadan, before becoming Minister of State for Defence under former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015.
He has also held several party positions, including National Vice Chairman, South-East, Zonal Chairman and National Organising Secretary.
According to Shaibu, Akobundu’s military, administrative, political and legislative experience would be valuable in coordinating the campaign’s nationwide operations.
He added that the campaign structure was designed to remain lean, with clearly defined roles and measurable outcomes.
Akobundu’s appointment comes as the ADC unveils its National Campaign Council and Presidential Campaign Management Committee ahead of the 2027 general elections.