Aregbesola, Abdullahi absent from Atiku’s Campaign Council as ADC explains omission

The absence of African Democratic Congress (ADC) National Secretary, Rauf Aregbesola, and National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, from the party’s newly unveiled Presidential Campaign Council has sparked questions over the roles of the two senior officials as the opposition party begins preparations for the 2027 elections.

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, the ADC presidential candidate, unveiled the campaign structure on Thursday, with Kashim Ibrahim-Imam named chairman and former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai appointed deputy chairman. Senator Austin Akobundu was named Director-General and Campaign Manager.

The structure also includes Atiku’s running mate, Rotimi Amaechi, ADC National Chairman David Mark, former Edo State Governor John Oyegun, former Kogi State senator Dino Melaye and other prominent party figures.

However, Aregbesola and Abdullahi, who occupy key positions in the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), do not appear among the listed campaign appointees.

The omission is notable because Aregbesola has been actively involved in the party’s organisational and mobilisation activities. On Thursday, the former Osun State governor joined Atiku and other ADC leaders in Akure, Ondo State, for the reception of former governorship candidate Eyitayo Jegede into the party.

The ADC’s official website currently identifies Aregbesola as its National Secretary and Abdullahi as National Publicity Secretary.

Rather than indicating a disagreement within the party, however, the absence of the two officials has been attributed to their existing responsibilities within the party structure.

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Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communications for the campaign and Atiku’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, explained that Aregbesola and Abdullahi are members of the NWC that constituted the campaign council.

According to Shaibu, the NWC members were responsible for setting up the campaign structure and therefore were not necessarily required to appear among the appointees to the council.

“This is a structure built for work. Every directorate has a duty. Every director has an assignment. Every appointee must account for results,” Shaibu said in announcing the structure.

Abdullahi also sought to play down any suggestion that his absence from the list reflected estrangement from the campaign.

“There are so many party leaders whose names are not there. We play an important role in the party. So, it is not anything,” he said, explaining that it would be counterproductive to remove key national officers from the party’s regular administrative structure simply because a campaign organisation had been established.

The development highlights the distinction between the ADC’s permanent party machinery and Atiku’s election campaign organisation.

The campaign council has been organised around specific operational responsibilities, with six major directorates and numerous directors assigned to areas including administration, operations, media and communications, contact and mobilisation, diversity and support groups, and technical and systems operations.

The party’s NWC, meanwhile, remains responsible for the day-to-day administration and political organisation of the ADC.

The campaign’s Policy Team is headed by Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, with Prof. Mohammed Sagagi as deputy chairman and former CBN Deputy Governor Kingsley Moghalu among its members. John Oyegun heads the Campaign Advisory Board.

For now, there is no indication from the party that Aregbesola or Abdullahi has been removed from their national offices. The ADC’s own leadership page continues to list both men in their respective positions.

Their absence from the campaign council therefore appears, based on the explanations provided by party officials, to reflect the separation between the ADC’s national administrative structure and the newly constituted campaign machinery rather than a confirmed leadership dispute.