Atiku Has Named El-Rufai To His Campaign While El-Rufai Is In Detention
Abuja · Saturday 26 September 2026
Atiku Abubakar, the African Democratic Congress presidential candidate, has named the former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai as deputy chairman of his campaign council. El-Rufai is in detention. Dele Momodu, an ADC chieftain, defended the decision on Channels Television on Friday, describing El-Rufai as a prisoner of conscience.
An appointment that cannot be carried out
A deputy chairman of a campaign council chairs meetings, negotiates with state chapters and travels. A detained man can do none of those things. The appointment is not operational. It is a statement, and the audience for it is not the ADC.
| What the ADC gains | What it risks |
|---|---|
| A sympathetic cause in the North-West | Looking as though it is using a detainee |
| A signal of defiance | A deputy chair who may not be free before the election |
| El-Rufai's network and loyalists | His long list of enemies inside the opposition |
El-Rufai has never been a neutral figure, including among the people now working with him.
Detaining a politician is supposed to take him out of politics. In Nigeria it has often done the opposite.
The question that matters more than the campaign
Whatever the political theatre, a former governor is being held and the public reasons need to be tested in court, promptly and openly. If there is a case, it should be brought. If there is not, he should be released. Either outcome is better for the country than a detention that becomes a campaign prop for one side and an embarrassment for the other.
Reporting: Daily Post, Legit.ng, Channels Television and Politics Nigeria.
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