Untidy ADC’s Presidential Campaign Council Raises Questions As Nominees Reject Appointment

Untidy ADC’s Presidential Campaign Council

 

OpenLife News reports that the unveiling of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Presidential Campaign Council by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has been mired in controversy as nominees distance themselves from the council, raising questions about the party’s internal coordination and vetting process.

The latest setback came on Thursday when a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Prof. Kingsley Moghalu, publicly rejected his inclusion in Atiku’s Policy Team for the 2027 election.

Moghalu, in a statement posted on his verified X handle, said he was neither consulted nor did he give consent before his name was published.”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.

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

The former presidential candidate of the Young Progressives Party, YPP, in 2019, insisted he had quit partisan politics since 2022 and maintains a non-partisan posture.

“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 sympathiser of any political party in Nigeria,” he said.

Moghalu said his current roles as President of the Institute for Governance and Economic Transformation, IGET Africa, a non-partisan think tank, and CEO of Sogato Strategies, a geopolitical risk advisory firm, conflict with 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,” he added.

His rejection came hours after Atiku’s campaign unveiled its council, naming 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 Policy Team, where Moghalu’s name appeared, is chaired by economist and banker Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, with Professor Mohammed Sagagi as deputy chairman.

The team is expected to develop policy proposals on cost of living, unemployment, insecurity and declining purchasing power.

Implications

The untidy compilation of the list is already fuelling three major concerns for the ADC.First, it questions the credibility of Atiku’s coalition-building effort.

The inclusion of high-profile technocrats without consent suggests desperation to borrow credibility rather than genuine alignment.

Second, it exposes cracks in the opposition alliance. El-Rufai’s appointment as deputy chairman has also generated mixed reactions within ADC ranks, with some stakeholders questioning his ideological fit, coming from a hardline APC background.

Third, it risks legal and reputational damage. Public disavowal by a respected figure like Moghalu undermines voter confidence and gives the ruling APC ammunition to portray the ADC coalition as disjointed and unserious about governance.

Political analysts say the episode reflects the hurried nature of Atiku’s defection to the ADC and the struggle to assemble a nationally acceptable campaign structure within a short time frame.

Unless the party quickly reconciles and verifies its nominees, more rejections may follow, further denting the momentum of Atiku’s 2027 bid.