Professor Kingsley Moghalu, former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, has publicly distanced himself from former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar's 2027 presidential campaign after his name appeared in a statement from the Atiku and African Democratic Congress (ADC) campaign team listing him as a member of their policy team.
Legit.ng reports that Atiku approved a lean National Campaign Council and Presidential Campaign Management Committee ahead of the 2027 general elections. Moghalu said he was neither consulted nor did he give consent before his name was published in that capacity.
Moghalu's Denial and Statement
Moghalu reacted through a personal statement issued via his X handle @MoghaluKingsley on Thursday, September 24, 2026. "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, adding that he is "NOT, in fact, a member of Atiku's policy team, even unofficially or in any advisory capacity."
The professor said he stepped away from partisan politics in Nigeria in 2022 and has since kept that position. He said he does not belong to, or sympathise with, any political party in the country.
Non-Partisan Stance and Current Roles
Moghalu said his current focus is on his roles 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.
"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 wrote. Moghalu signed the statement as "Professor Kingsley Moghalu, Former Deputy Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, Ifekaego Nnewi."
Background: Atiku and the ADC
Atiku Abubakar was ratified as the presidential candidate of the ADC on May 29, 2026, for the 2027 general elections. He had resigned from the African Democratic Congress on May 2, 2026, before the ratification formalised his candidacy under the party.
Moghalu's public denial raises questions about the accuracy of the campaign team's published membership list and whether other individuals listed may face similar circumstances. The ADC has named Senator Austin Akobundu as Presidential Campaign Council Director-General.
