AfDB: President Buhari Pledges Support For Akinwumi Adesina

The President , Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd . ) , has assured the President of the African Development Bank, Dr Akinwumi Adesina , of Nigeria ’ s support in his bid to get re – elected as the bank’ s president .
This was contained in a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity , Femi Adesina , on Tuesday .

The statement quoted the President as speaking at State House, Abuja , on Tuesday , while hosting Adesina on a courtesy visit , where he also told the AfDB’ s president that “ Nigeria will stand solidly behind” him .

“ 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 Peoples Democratic Party Minister , and I belonged to the All Progressives Congress , 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 , ” Buhari said .

The President pledged that Nigeria would work with other leaders and stakeholders in the AfDB to ensure that Adesina was elected for a second term .

Giving a background to what was happening in the bank, Adesina said the 16 allegations raised against him were trumped up , “and without facts , evidence, and documents , as required by the rules and regulations of the bank” .

He added that the Ethics Committee of the bank cleared him of all the allegations , adding that calls for a fresh investigation by the United States of America were against the rules.

“ My defense ran into 250 pages , and not a single line was faulted or questioned .
The law says that report of the Ethics Committee should be transmitted to the Chairman of Governors of the bank. It was done , and the governors upheld the recommendations . That was the end of the matter , according to the rules.

“ It was only if I was culpable that a fresh investigation could be launched . I was exonerated, and any other investigation would amount to bending the rules of the bank, to arrive at a predetermined conclusion , ” Adesina added .

Stressing that the motive was to soil his name , and that of the bank, the AfDB President said he was proud to be Nigerian , and thanked President Buhari for his unflinching support.

“ You helped me to get elected in the first place , and you have supported me robustly all along , and the African Union unanimously endorsed my re -election” he noted .