Moghalu rejects Atiku’s nomination into campaign council

Kingsley Moghalu, a former presidential candidate, has rejected his nomination into the presidential campaign council of Atiku Abubakar, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate for the 2027 general election.

Mr Moghalu, a former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), said he was rejecting the nomination because he had quit partisan politics and no longer represents any political party.

He announced his decision in a statement on Thursday, shortly after Phrank Shaibu, a senior special assistant on public communication to Atiku, announced the composition of the campaign council.

Atiku had nominated Mr Moghalu, a professor of practice in international business and public policy, as a member of the policy department of his campaign council, to be chaired by Mohammed Hayatudeen, a former presidential aspirant.

The former vice-president appointed Austin Akobundu, the senator representing Abia Central, as the director-general and campaign manager of the council.

Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, a former governorship candidate in Borno State, will serve as chairman of the council, while Nasir El-Rufai, a former governor of Kaduna State, was named deputy chairman.

Reasons for rejection

Mr Moghalu said he was neither consulted by Atiku nor asked to consent to the nomination before his name was included in the campaign council.

He also denied being affiliated with Atiku’s policy team in any capacity.

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

The former CBN deputy governor said he had quit partisan politics in Nigeria in 2022 and had since maintained a non-partisan position in the country’s affairs.

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

Mr Moghalu said he would continue in his current roles as president of a non-partisan public policy think tank and chief executive officer of a geopolitical risk and regulatory strategy advisory firm.

“My primary engagement is as President of @IGETAfrica, a non-partisan public policy think tank and executive education academy, and as CEO of Sogato Strategies, a geopolitical risk and regulatory strategy advisory firm,” he said.

He reaffirmed his commitment to Nigeria’s progress, saying his dedication to the country did not require partisan affiliation.

“I remain committed to my country, Nigeria and its progress, but such commitment does not have to entail ANY partisan alignment. I have adopted the path of statesmanship, not partisanship,” he said.