‘I Wasn’t Consulted’ — Moghalu Disowns Atiku Campaign Role

Former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN), Professor Kingsley Moghalu, has distanced himself from the 2027 presidential campaign of African Democratic Congress(ADC) candidate Atiku Abubakar after his name appeared on the campaign’s policy team.

Moghalu said he neither received an invitation nor gave his consent before the campaign listed him among members of the team. He made the clarification on Thursday through a statement posted on his X handle, shortly after Atiku unveiled his campaign council.

The campaign structure named economist and banker Mohammed Hayatu-Deen as chairman of the Policy Team, with Professor Mohammed Sagagi as deputy chairman. Moghalu appeared among the members announced by the campaign.

Reacting to the development, Moghalu said he was surprised to find his name on the list and insisted that the announcement did not reflect his current position.

“For the record, 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.

Moghalu went further to clarify that he had no formal or informal role in Atiku’s policy structure.

“I am NOT, in fact, a member of Atiku’s policy team, even unofficially or in any advisory capacity,” he stated.

The former presidential candidate of the Young Progressives Party(YPP) in the 2019 election also reiterated that he left partisan politics in Nigeria in 2022.

According to him, he has maintained a non-partisan position since then and does not belong to or support any political party in the country.

“I have quit partisan politics in Nigeria since 2022. I have maintained, and continue to maintain, my non-partisan posture in our country’s national affairs,” Moghalu said.

“I am not a member or sympathiser of any political party in Nigeria,” he added.

Moghalu explained that his current professional activities centre on public policy and geopolitical risk rather than partisan politics. He serves as president of the Institute for Governance and Economic Transformation(IGET) Africa, a non-partisan public policy think tank and executive education academy.

He also serves as Chief Executive Officer of Sogato Strategies, a firm focused on geopolitical risk and regulatory strategy advisory services.

Despite his decision to stay outside partisan politics, Moghalu said he remained committed to Nigeria and its development. He stressed that such commitment did not require him to align with a political party or presidential campaign.

“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,” Moghalu added.

His clarification came as Atiku’s campaign continued to put together its structure for the 2027 presidential contest. The council named Kashim Ibrahim-Imam as chairman, former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai as deputy chairman and Senator Austin Akobundu as Director-General and Campaign Manager.

The campaign said the policy team would work on practical responses to issues it identified as major concerns for Nigerians, including the cost of living, unemployment, insecurity and declining purchasing power.