‘I’ll remain consistent with you’ — Buhari assures Adesina

President Muhammadu Buhari has assured Akinwumi Adesina, president of the African Development Bank, of his support in his bid to get re-elected.

Adesina visited the president on Tuesday at the presidential villa in Aso Rock.

“In 2015, when you were to be elected for the first term, I wrote to all African leaders, recommending you for the position,” a statement by Femi Adesina, special adviser to the president on media and publicity, quoted Buhari to have said.

“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.”

The African Union and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have endorsed him for a second term in office.

Adesina’s re-election bid is currently being threatened by the US’ request for an independent probe into whistleblower allegations levelled against him.

The ethics committee of the bank’s board of governors has absolved Adesina of the charges.

Adesina, who is a former Nigerian minister for agriculture, 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, and calls for 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,” Adesina said.

“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 thanked Buhari for his support saying he is proud to be a Nigerian.

He also commiserated with the president over the death of Abba Kyari, his former chief of staff, and described Ibrahim Gambari, his successor, as a man of integrity, and of global standing.