Former presidential aspirant Kingsley Moghalu has described his decision to leave Nigerian politics as the best choice he ever made, citing personal fulfilment, family priorities and concerns about the political system.
Mr. Moghalu made the statement in a post on his X handle, where he reflected on his political involvement and return to international professional work.
He said he left his academic position in 2018 to contest the 2019 presidential election after calls that “Nigeria needs you.”
He ran under the Young Progressive Party in 2019. In 2023, he sought to contest again but withdrew from the race, alleging betrayal by political operatives on what he called an alternative platform.
“I decided it wasn’t worth the bother for someone who does not need the Nigerian ‘system’ to feed, and whose contributions are demanded and appreciated well elsewhere. So I ended my brief foray into politics and returned to international professional life. Best decision I ever made. Life since has been quiet, happy, and fulfilling,” he wrote.
Moghalu said his political pursuits cost him time, health, family resources and earnings from his professional work.
He stated that he is no longer aligned with or a member of any political party but continues to offer non-partisan commentary on public and economic policy.
Responding to recurring calls for him to return to politics, he said, “It needs you too, and ALL of us, not just me.”
He argued that change in Nigeria would depend on citizens demanding accountable governance and a transparent electoral process.
According to him, citizens in other countries have altered the direction of their nations through civic action and Nigeria should not be an exception.
He warned that without collective effort, the country risks a decline similar to the situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Kingsley Moghalu, a former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, served at the apex bank from 2009 to 2014.
Before joining the CBN, he had a career at the United Nations, where he worked in legal and external affairs roles, including at the UN Secretariat in New York.
He later became a professor of practice in international business and public policy at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University in the United States.
He returned to academic and international engagements after withdrawing from partisan politics.
