President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday assured Akinwumi Adesina that Nigeria would “stand solidly behind” his bid to get re-elected as president of the African Development Bank.
Buhari gave the assurance at the State House, Abuja, while hosting Adesina on a courtesy visit.
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He promised that Nigeria would work with all other leaders and stakeholders in AfDB to ensure Adesina was elected for a second term built on the record of his achievements during his first term.
“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’s minister, and I belonged to the All Progressives Congress so I’d withhold my support.
“I’ll remain consistent with you because no one has faulted the step I took on behalf of Nigeria,” he said.
The African Union had endorsed Adesina as the sole candidate for the continent, but some other stakeholders are trying to ensure he is re-investigated on some allegations, and rendered him ineligible to run.
US-led fresh investigation against the rules
Speaking on Tuesday, Adesina, who gave a background to what was happening in the bank, 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.”
The former Nigerian Minister for Agriculture added that the Ethics Committee of the bank had cleared him of all the allegations, and that calls for a fresh investigation by the United States of America, were against the rules.
“My defence 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 said.
Adesina, who underscored that the motive was to soil his name, and that of the bank, said he was proud to be Nigerian and thanked 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 declared.
Reps want a halt to further investigation
Adesina, who condoled with Buhari on the death of his former Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari, described Professor Ibrahim Gambari, the new Chief of Staff, as “a man of integrity and global standing.”
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives on Tuesday called on the board of the AfDB to halt all further investigations of Adesina and let the rule of law prosper.
It also urged the Federal government of Nigeria to call on all African leaders to intervene and rally round Adesina and see to the end of the crisis.
This followed the adoption of a motion by Ndudi Godwin Elumelu.
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