How Adesina beat U.S. to clinch re-election as AfDB president

Buhari, Gbajabiamila, others laud victory

President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, was re-elected on Thursday to serve a second five-year term with 100 per cent votes of all its regional and nonregional members. Chairperson of the Board of Governors of the Bank, Mrs Niale Kaba, announced this after the virtual election.

In June, the African Diaspora Congress (ADC) had accused the United States of “jostling for power in Africa” by “unduly interfering” in the leadership of the AfDB.

ADC, a coalition of various African Diaspora organisations, said this in a statement in New York on Tuesday.

The statement was jointly signed by its Secretary-General, Prof. Apollos Nwauwa, and Public Relations Officer, Dr Isabelle Kemajou-Brown.

It faulted the US’ call for an independent probe of corruption allegations against Adesina, after he had been cleared by the bank’s Ethics Committee.

The request, according to ADC, is outside the rules and governing system of the bank, and aimed at removing Adesina from office.

It said: “A suspicious whistleblower’s complaint against Adesina has been duly investigated by the bank’s Ethics Committee and dismissed as being “frivolous, baseless, and without merit or evidence.

Unfortunately, the US has not accepted this outcome because it is not helpful to its quest to remove Adesina from office.

“Why should the U.S, which is a minority shareholder in the AfDB, impose on the bank, another so-called independent investigation of Adesina’s conduct outside the bank’s procedures and policies?

“Under which statute of the bank is the U.S. revisiting a matter which has been resolved in a transparent manner and in line with the bank’s existing procedures and policies?”

Adesina was first elected President of the Bank on May 28, 2015 and would begin his new term of another five years on September 1. Kaba said she was delighted that the Board of Governors had re-elected Adesina for a second term in office.

“As shareholders, we strongly support the Bank and we will give him all the necessary support to carry forward and implement his compelling vision for the Bank over the next five years,” she said.

Adesina’s first term focused on a bold new agenda for the Bank Group based on five development priorities known as the High 5s.

The High 5s are Light up and Power Africa, Feed Africa, Industrialise Africa, Integrate Africa, and Improve the Quality of Life for the People of Africa.

The AfDB president had on Wednesday said the Bank achieved impactful results on the lives of 335 million Africans, including 18 million people with access to electricity, while 141 million people benefited from improved agricultural technologies for food security.

According to him, 15 million people have access to finance from private investments, 101 million people provided with access to improved transport and 60 million people gained access to water and sanitation.

The Bank has maintained its AAAratings by all major global credit rating agencies for five years in a row while the Board of Governors of the Bank Group approved a 125 per cent increase in the General Capital of the Bank.

The capital rose from 93 billion dollars to 208 billion dollars, the largest in the history of the Bank. Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari has felicitated Adesina on his reelection.

The president’s congratulatory message was conveyed by Mr Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, in Abuja on Thursday.

He said the news of the victory came during the Council of State meeting, which was attended by former heads of state, Senate President, governors, former Chief Justices of Nigeria, some Ministers, and senior government officials.

“As Secretary to Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha, announced the good news, President Buhari led a round of applause, and declared: “He deserves it.”

Buhari extended appreciation to the African Union for its endorsement of the AfDB President much earlier, and to shareholders of the bank who worked tirelessly to ensure the return of the visionary leader.

According to him, Adesina’s versatility, experience at both national and international engagements, will be further deployed to energize the pan-African financial institution.

He urged Adesina to remain focused and steadfast in pursuing the noble goals of making life better for Africans through various development plans, already captured as High 5s.

The president rejoiced with family, friends and professional colleagues of Adesina over the re-election. He also commended members of staff and Board of Governors of the AfDB for their consistent support for the former Nigerian Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, and his management team.

While pledging full support of his government to ensure a successful tenure for the AfDB leadership, Buhari prayed that the Almighty God would continue to strengthen Adesina and his team for greater good to the continent.

Similarly, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, congratulated Adesina. In a statement on Thursday in Abuja, Gbajabiamila described the victory as a triumph of integrity and dedication to duty.

The speaker said that the re-election has provided Adesina with another opportunity to consolidate and sustain AfDB as a global financial force and to push African development agenda.

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“Your clearance by the Independent Review Panel and Ethics Committee of the bank as well as the bank’s Bureau of Governors’ Independent Review Panel was an affirmation of your integrity, dedication to duty and diligence.

“Your return for a second term without opposition also attests to the confidence the continent and its partners have in your leadership qualities.

“As I congratulate you on this historic milestone with the belief that the bank is in good hands, this is to remind you that your re-election is a call to rededicate yourself to duty towards positioning the bank as a global financial institution to reckon with,” he said.