Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Professor Kingsley Moghalu has rejected his inclusion in the policy team of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar's 2027 presidential campaign, saying he was neither consulted nor gave his consent before his name was published. The former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria made his position clear in a statement on Thursday, September 24, 2026, shortly after the African Democratic Congress campaign unveiled its structure for the 2027 election.
The campaign structure, announced by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communications of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, named economist and banker Mohammed Hayatu-Deen as chairman of the policy team, with Professor Mohammed Sagagi as deputy chairman. Moghalu was listed among the members. The campaign said the policy team would be responsible for developing practical responses to issues confronting Nigerians, including the cost of living, unemployment, insecurity and declining purchasing power.
But Moghalu said he was surprised to see his name on the list. "I am surprised to see a statement from @atiku and @ADCNig campaign team including my name as a member of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar's policy team for the 2027 presidential campaign," he wrote on his official X handle. "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 went further, leaving no room for ambiguity about his position. "I am NOT, in fact, a member of Atiku's policy team, even unofficially or in any advisory capacity."
Moghalu also reaffirmed his decision to stay away from partisan politics, stating that he had quit partisan politics in Nigeria since 2022 and had maintained his non-partisan posture in the country's national 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.
The former CBN deputy governor explained that his current engagements are centred on public policy and geopolitical strategy. He serves as President of IGET Africa, which he described as a non-partisan public policy think tank and executive education academy, and as Chief Executive Officer of Sogato Strategies, 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 stressed that his commitment to Nigeria remained undiminished but that such commitment should not be interpreted as partisan alignment. "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."
The development has raised questions about how Moghalu's name came to be included in the published structure without his knowledge or consent. The ADC campaign has not responded to his denial. As of Thursday evening, there was no statement from Atiku or the campaign team addressing whether Moghalu was consulted before his name appeared on the list, or whether his inclusion resulted from an error. The silence leaves the matter unresolved and invites speculation about the vetting process behind the campaign's public announcements.
The controversy comes at a sensitive moment for the opposition. Atiku, who is making what he has described as his final attempt at the presidency, is seeking to build a broad coalition capable of challenging President Bola Tinubu in 2027. The campaign structure he unveiled is headed by Kashim Ibrahim-Imam as chairman, with former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai as deputy chairman and Senator Austin Akobundu as Director-General and Campaign Manager. The inclusion of figures like Moghalu, a respected economist and former presidential candidate, would have signalled an effort to bring technocratic credibility to the campaign. Instead, the dispute has drawn attention to the campaign's internal processes and raised doubts about its attention to detail.
For Moghalu, the incident is a reminder of why he chose to leave partisan politics. He has built a reputation as a thinker and policy advocate rather than a party operative. His decision to remain non-partisan since 2022 has allowed him to engage with national issues without the constraints of party loyalty. Being dragged into a partisan campaign without his consent undermines that carefully cultivated independence. His statement makes clear that he does not regard himself as part of Atiku's campaign structure and that his commitment to Nigeria is not for sale to any political party.
The broader implications for the ADC campaign are significant. In an election where credibility and competence will be key selling points, the inability to secure consent before announcing a policy team member's name suggests a campaign that is either disorganised or careless. Neither impression is helpful for a candidate seeking to present himself as a capable alternative to the incumbent. The ADC has positioned itself as a vehicle for opposition unity, but the Moghalu episode shows that unity begins with respecting the choices of the individuals a campaign seeks to associate with its brand.
As of the time of this report, Moghalu's statement stands unchallenged. The ADC campaign has not disputed his account, nor has it clarified how his name ended up on the list. For now, the only certainty is that Moghalu has distanced himself from Atiku's policy team and reaffirmed his commitment to non-partisan public service. Whether the campaign will apologise, correct the record, or simply move on remains to be seen. But the episode has already achieved one thing: it has forced Nigerians to ask a basic question about the campaign that wants to govern the country. If it cannot get a simple list right, what else might it get wrong?
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