*Moghalu Rejects Membership, Says Not Consulted
THE name of the Interim National Secretary, former governor of Osun State, as well as a former minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, was conspicuously missing from the list of members of the campaign team and Presidential Campaign Council recently released by the African Democratic Congress (ADC), and its presidential candidate in next year’s general elections, Atiku Abubakar.
No reason has so far been given for the omission.
The list of members of the national campaign council and presidential campaign management committee for the elections was released in a statement on Thursday, September 24, by the Director of Strategic Communication, ADC Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) and Senior Special Assistant to Atiku, Phrank Shaibu.
It named Kashim Ibrahim-Imam as Chairman of the National Campaign Council, while incarcerated former Kaduna State governor, Nasir el-Rufai, will serve as Deputy Chairman.
The statement listed Austin Akobundu, the senator representing Abia Central, a retired Colonel of the Nigerian Army and former minister of State for Defence, as Director General and Campaign Manager, to oversee the day-to-day coordination and implementation of campaign activities in the country.
According to the statement: “The campaign structure will comprise six operational directorates, each headed by a deputy director general, with 30 directors assigned specific responsibilities across the directorates.”
Journalist and publisher of Ovation magazine, Dele Momodu, heads the Media and Communications Directorate as Deputy Director General, coordinating media operations across traditional, broadcast and digital platforms, while Dino Melaye, a former senator, would be responsible for political mobilisation, national outreach and public engagement.
It named Mohammed Hayatudeen to coordinate the policy team, alongside Mohammed Sagagi and Aare Aremijoye on policy development, while a former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Kingsley Moghalu, will contribute expertise in monetary policy, financial-sector governance and economic development.
The Campaign Advisory Council (CAC), according to the statement, will be chaired by former Edo State governor and pioneer national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), John Oyegun, while former senator, Ben Obi, and Lawal Batagarawa will serve as Deputy Chairmen, while Eyitayo Jegede (SAN) will serve as Secretary of the CAC.
Meanwhile, Moghalu has rejected his inclusion in the campaign policy team, saying he neither consented to nor was consulted before his name was listed as a member.
In a statement posted on his X handle, Moghalu said he was surprised to see his name included in the campaign team, insisting he was “not consulted” and did not give his consent for his name to be published as a member.
He further clarified that he was not associated with the campaign in any capacity, insisting he was neither an official member nor an adviser to the team.
The former presidential candidate of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) in the 2019 general elections said he had withdrawn from partisan politics since 2022 and had maintained a non-partisan position in Nigeria’s national affairs, saying he is neither a member nor a sympathiser of any political party in the country.
Moghalu stated that his current engagements are focused on public policy and geopolitical risk advisory, rather than partisan politics.
He listed his roles as President of the Institute for Governance and Economic Transformation (IGET Africa), which he described as a non-partisan public policy think tank and executive education academy, and Chief Executive Officer of Sogato Strategies, a geopolitical risk and regulatory strategy advisory firm.
He stressed that his decision to remain outside partisan politics should, however, not be interpreted as a withdrawal from national affairs, adding: “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.”
