2027: ADC campaign crisis deepens as Atiku’s aides sideline Momodu, others

By Myke Uzendu

Fresh signs of internal disagreement have emerged within the media directorate of the African Democratic Congress Presidential Campaign Council (ADC-PCC), amid allegations of poor coordination and the marginalisation of some key officials.

The development centres on the media team constituted following the unveiling of the campaign council on September 24, which appointed veteran journalist and publisher of Ovation Magazine, Dele Momodu, as Deputy Director-General in charge of Media and Communications.

Momodu, who played a similar role in the 2023 presidential campaign of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was expected to coordinate the campaign council’s media operations.

Other officials appointed to the directorate include former PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, as Director of Media and Publicity, and Atiku’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, as Director of Strategic Communications.

Also appointed were Ladan Salihu, Director of Branding; Moji Rhodes-Vvour, Director of Digital and Online Media; and David Iyofor, Director of Content Development. Kenneth Okonkwo, Keturah King and Nana Kazure were named spokespersons.

However, developments within the campaign structure suggest that the media directorate is yet to establish an effective coordination mechanism, with Ologbondiyan and Shaibu allegedly issuing competing and, at times, conflicting statements on the same issues.

The situation has reportedly raised questions about Momodu’s authority and operational influence, given his position as the official expected to supervise the media and communications team.

His absence from recent campaign activities has further fuelled speculation about possible disagreements within the directorate.

On Tuesday, Atiku addressed a press conference in Abuja, where he announced that the ADC presidential campaign would formally commence on Wednesday.

However, Momodu and the ADC National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, were reportedly absent from the briefing and appeared not to have been involved in the announcement.

Tuesday’s engagement was said to be the third press conference addressed by Atiku without Momodu’s presence, with Shaibu reportedly coordinating the media engagements.

Momodu was said to have remained in Lagos since attending the inauguration of the campaign council on October 9.

A party source, who spoke to journalists anonymously on Tuesday, expressed concern over the development, attributing it to what he described as Atiku’s failure to fully recognise the institutional structure of his new political platform.

“How can a candidate address a press conference on the flag-off of his campaign without the head of his media directorate or the National Publicity Secretary of the party?” the source queried.

The source also questioned why the list of the campaign council was released by Atiku’s private media aide rather than the party’s National Publicity Secretary.

“It is the party, and not the candidate, that constitutes the presidential campaign council. Bolaji Abdullahi should be the one to release the list to the media, not Phrank Shaibu, Atiku’s media aide,” the source said.

He further alleged that several members of the party’s National Working Committee only became aware of the composition of the campaign council after Shaibu circulated the list.
The development has raised fresh questions about the relationship between the ADC’s party structure and Atiku’s campaign team as the opposition party prepares for the 2027 general election.

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