The President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Akinwunmi Adesina, has debunked reports associating him with the race for Nigeria’s presidency in 2027.
The speculation started after a recent interview at Arise TV, where he mentioned being “available to serve in any capacity”.
However, Adesina clarified on X (formerly known as Twitter) that his words were misinterpreted and misrepresented by several Nigerian media outlets.
He explicitly stated, “For clarity and for the record, I did not say that I am running for the office of President of Nigeria”.
“A segment of my recent interview on @ARISEtv has been both misinterpreted and misrepresented in several Nigerian media outlets. What I said was, “I will be available to serve in any capacity, globally, in Africa, anywhere, including my own country.”
“A listen to the substantive and robust interview, which is available online, will show this to be the case. For clarity and for the record, I did not say that I am running for the office of President of Nigeria,” Adesina said.
It is not the first time Adesnia whose tenure as the AfDB president comes to an end in May 2025 will distance himself from Nigeria’s presidential race.
Amid speculations ahead of the 2023 elections, Adesina released a statement ruling himself out of the presidential race.
“While I am deeply honoured, humbled and grateful for all the incredible goodwill, kindness, and confidence, my current responsibilities at this time do not allow me to accept to considered,” the statement read in part.
“I remain fully engaged and committed to the mission that Nigeria, Africa, and all the non-African shareholders of the African Development Bank have given me for Africa’s development.
“I remain fully focused on the mission of supporting the accelerated development and economic integration of Africa.”
Adesina, who served as Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture under President Goodluck Jonathan, was first elected as the AfDB president in 2015 before winning reelection in 2020.