Former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Professor Kingsley Moghalu, has rejected his inclusion in the policy team of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar’s 2027 presidential campaign.
Moghalu said he was neither consulted nor gave his consent before his name was included in the campaign structure unveiled by the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
His comments came after Atiku’s campaign announced its campaign council and listed the former CBN deputy governor as a member of its Policy Team, headed by economist and banker Mohammed Hayatu-Deen. (TheCable)
In a statement posted on his X account, Moghalu said he was surprised to see his name associated with the campaign.
“I was not consulted and did not give my consent to my name being published as a member of the ADC candidate’s policy team,” he said.
He further clarified that he was not a member of Atiku’s campaign “even unofficially or in any advisory capacity”.
Moghalu, who contested Nigeria’s 2019 presidential election under the Young Progressive Party (YPP), said he had withdrawn from partisan politics since 2022.
“I am not a member or sympathiser of any political party in Nigeria,” he said.
He said his current work focused on public policy and geopolitical risk, including his role as president of the Institute for Governance and Economic Transformation (IGET Africa) and chief executive officer of Sogato Strategies.
Moghalu stressed that remaining committed to Nigeria did not require him to align with a political party.
“I remain committed to my country, Nigeria and its progress, but such commitment does not have to entail ANY partisan alignment,” he said.
“I have adopted the path of statesmanship, not partisanship.”
Atiku’s campaign structure named Kashim Ibrahim-Imam as chairman of the National Campaign Council, with former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai as deputy chairman and Senator Austin Akobundu as director-general and campaign manager. (Punch Newspapers)
The campaign said its policy team would work on proposals addressing issues including the cost of living, unemployment, insecurity and declining purchasing power.
Moghalu’s statement, however, makes clear that his inclusion in the announced policy team was not authorised by him.
