Buhari Backs Adesina’s re-election at AfDB

Nigeria’s President Buhari has shown his support publicly for Akinwumi Adesina’s re-election bid for the Presidency of the African Development Bank (AfDB), despite the allegations of corruption levied against him.

President Buhari hosted Dr Adesina on Tuesday for a courtesy visit at the State House, Abuja.

He addressed the banker, “In 2015, when you were to be elected for the first term, I wrote to all African leaders, recommending you for the position. I didn’t say because you were a People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Minister, and I belonged to the All Progressives Congress (APC), so I would withhold my support.

“I’ll remain consistent with you, because no one has faulted the step I took on behalf of Nigeria”.

Dr Adesina had previously faced 16 allegations of abuse of office, but was cleared of all charges by the bank’s internal Ethics Committee earlier this year.

Nonetheless, the US is still opposed to his re-election as US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin personally signed a letter rejecting the Committee’s investigation.

With such muddied opinion of the investigation, the transparency of the AfDB is being called into question.

A former economist for the AfDB, Barbara Barungi said, "Mnuchin's move is significant because it has now cast a limelight on governance issues and on [the] importance of an independent investigation to uphold the integrity of the AfDB.

"There are very few people that were willing to stick their necks out."

President Buhari’s comments have now put Nigeria directly in opposition to US advice, further souring relations between the two nations.

Tensions are currently high between the US and West African nations, as race relations in the US deteriorated into riots and protests against the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, USA, last week.

Photo: Twitter, Presidency of Nigeria