…Dele Momodu, others sidelined
Few hours to the flag-off of its 2027 presidential campaign, a crack seemed to have appeared within the media directorate of the African Democratic Congress Presidential Campaign Council (ADC-PCC).
New Telegraph recalls that the ADC had earlier fixed Saturday, October 31, for the flag-off but shifted it to November 4.
However, less than 24 hours before the flag-off scheduled in Sokoto, the party’s state office was sealed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) controlled state government.
The party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, who addressed a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday, accused the ruling party of a plot to scuttle the flag-off.
According to him, information at the party’s disposal indicated that the Department of State Services (DSS) is allegedly recruiting people to stage a protest in Sokoto to allow the government to declare a curfew in the state.
“What is unfolding in Sokoto is not ordinary political competition. It is a calculated campaign to frustrate the African Democratic Congress, obstruct our campaign and deny Nigerians the freedom to choose.
“Public facilities that should be available to every political party for legitimate campaign activities have been blocked,” he said.
The ADC candidate also alleged an attempt to deny the party a level playing field, and accused the ruling party of political interference.
According to him, those allegedly recruited for the protest were assembled behind Zenith Bank on Koko Road, where he said trucks were stationed to dispatch them to key points, including the roundabout.
“These mobilised protesters are causing gridlock. Commuters are being threatened and, in some cases, beaten. Some of the protesters have moved away from the roundabout to find shade,” he disclosed.
Meanwhile, the press conference was held in the absence of Otunba Dele Momodu, who was named Deputy General in charge of Media and Communications.
Momodu played the same role in 2023 when Atiku contested the presidential election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Former National Publicity Secretary of the party, Kola Ologbondiyan and Atiku’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, were named media and publicity and strategic communication, respectively. They are supposed to be working under the direction of Chief Dele Momodu.
Others in the media directorate are Ladan Salihu (Branding); Moji Rhodes-Vvour (Digital and Online media) and David Iyofor (Content Development), while the trio of Kenneth Okonkwo, Keturah King and Nana Kazure are spokespersons.
Tuesday’s press conference was the third Atiku addressed in the absence of Momodu. They were coordinated by Shaibu.
Momodu was said to have been in Lagos since he attended the council’s inauguration on October 9.
A party source blamed it on Atiku, whom he said has not yet realised that he is now the ADC candidate.
“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?
“Even the campaign list was released by his private media aide. This is not supposed to be so.
“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,” he stated.
According to him, most NWC members got to know about the release of the list through Shaibu.
“We were still debating who would be the DG when he saw the list. Who authorised it? I do not know,” he added.
The source could not, however, explain why Dele Momodu has chosen to stay in Lagos rather than Abuja to coordinate the media directorate.
“We thought he would be in Abuja last week. Maybe he has not finished what he is doing there. But I don’t think he will be in Sokoto for the flag-off,” he said.
