Prof Kingsley Moghalu, a former Deputy Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, and now a former presidential aspirant under the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has gone philosophical following his defeat at the just concluded ADC primary held at Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
The very cerebral Moghalu was handed his third political defeat by the little known Dumebi Kachikwu, who emerged as the winner of the ADC primary on Thursday. Dumebi is a younger brother of Ibe Kachikwu, a former GMD of NNPC.
Moghalu`s first political defeat also came as a surprise in the build up to the 2019 presidential election, when he lost the contest to become the consensus candidate for the Presidential Aspirants Coming Together (PACT) to a Motivational speaker and businessman, Fela Durotoye.
He eventually joined the Young Progressives Party (YPP), which presidential ticket he rode on to contest the 2019 presidential election, but unfortunately lost to the incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari, who was contesting for a second term in office.
Prof. Moghalu, who admitted that his 3rd and latest defeat in the hands of Dumebi Kachikwu, the founder of Roots Tv, was strange and disappointing, also made some spiritual declarations. He said that he is “a person of faith” and “believe that God knows his” next “plans”.
In a statement released after his loss, the former CBN deputy governor, Prof. Moghalu was not only philosophical, but could pass as the general overseer of any of the modern Pentecostal churches around.
The former Young Progressives Party (YPP) presidential candidate in the 2019 presidential election further declared that his latest loss calls for a moment of reflection before taking or venturing into his next “future political pursuit”.
While thanking all his “well-wishers within and beyond the party”, Prof. Moghalu took the opportunity to also commit to this “deep reflection”, which he said his current loss requires.
He polled 589 votes in the ADC primary, while the Root Tv founder, Dumebi Kachikwu emerged victorious with 977 votes. The 3rd position went to Monye, who scored a distant 339 votes.
Notwithstanding this shocking loss that has led Prof. Moghalu to walk on the pastoral path and philosophical terrain, the erudite intellectual is a force to be reckoned with, and a character Nigeria needs as it fights for economic rejuvenation.
In 2019, as a candidate of the YPP, he lost his first shot at the presidency, but his campaign messaged remains notable. He anchored his manifesto on “Build, Innovate and Grow” (BIG), which had a strong appeal, and created a shift in Nigeria’s political narrative towards the need for political and electoral reform.
In October 2019, Moghalu resigned his membership of the YPP, announcing that he would focus in the immediate future on advocacy for electoral reform through the non-partisan citizens movement To Build a Nation (TBAN).
NOTABLE QUOTES
Prof. Moghalu`s statement reads:
“The presidential primary of the African Democratic Congress for the 2023 general election concluded in the early hours of today, 09 June 2022, had a disappointing outcome. As a person of faith, I believe that God knows his plans for me, and will lead me to a perfect end that I as a mere mortal do not know now.
“I would like to thank all my well-wishers within and beyond the party, the delegates that voted for me, my teeming supporters, and Nigerians at large yearning for a new and different kind of leadership I represent. I would also like to congratulate some of the other aspirants who embraced a different kind of politics and leadership for our country.”
“For me, the process and outcome of the presidential primary require deep reflection, and I will be doing so. As a result, I will make no immediate determination of my future political pursuit.
“However, my commitment to a united and prosperous Nigeria remains unwavering. I remain available to serve our country,” the former CBN deputy governor conclude.
