Dele Momodu, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has defended the appointment of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai as Deputy Chairman of the party's presidential campaign council, despite El-Rufai currently being in detention. Momodu made the remarks during an appearance on Channels Television's morning programme, *Morning Brief*, on Friday, where he addressed criticism surrounding El-Rufai's inclusion in the campaign structure.
El-Rufai's Appointment and Detention
Reports indicate that Atiku Abubakar appointed Kashim Ibrahim-Imam as Chairman of the Council, with El-Rufai serving as Deputy Chairman. Rather than viewing El-Rufai's imprisonment as a disqualification, Momodu framed the appointment as a gesture of recognition.
"It is a way of honouring his sacrifice because his travails, I can say, are quite political in nature," Momodu said, adding: "That is why Nasiru has become a prisoner of conscience." Momodu also highlighted El-Rufai's deliberate choice to return to Nigeria despite knowing he faced arrest. "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 said. "He is in the hands of a government that he helped to midwife."
El-Rufai's Political Weight in Northwest
The ADC chieftain rejected suggestions that the appointment could become a political liability for the party. He argued that El-Rufai, despite controversies from his time as governor, remained a major force in Northern Nigerian politics. "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.
He also recalled El-Rufai's visible role in President Bola Tinubu's 2023 presidential campaign. "Nearly four years ago or less, Malam Nasiru El-Rufai was busy campaigning for Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. So was he not in government then? Did they find him divisive at the time?" he asked. Momodu stressed the strategic importance of the Northwest to any presidential bid. "Every presidential candidate wants to win in the Northwest, because without the Northwest, there is no way you can win the election. The majority of the votes will come from that direction," he said.
Role Fulfilment and Party Structure
On whether El-Rufai could fulfil the role actively, Momodu was direct: "What he has done is to at least dignify the man with an appointment. Whether he can attend to it or not is immaterial." El-Rufai's appointment comes as the ADC builds its structure ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Meanwhile, Legit.ng also reported that Professor Kingsley Moghalu publicly denied being named to Atiku's 2027 presidential campaign policy team by the ADC. Moghalu said he was not consulted and did not give consent before his name appeared in a statement from the Atiku and ADC campaign team. The former CBN Deputy Governor said he has maintained a non-partisan posture in Nigerian politics since 2022.
