Akinwumi Adesina, the President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), has clarified that he has no plans to contest for the position of Nigeria’s president in 2027.
Adesina stated this on Thursday following reports concerning his interview suggesting he wants to join the 2027 presidential race.
In a brief statement on his social media handle, the former Minister of Agriculture and Food Security under former President Goodluck Jonathan said he was misquoted and misrepresented.
“A segment of my recent interview 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,” he said.
Naija News reported that in the interview, Adesina said he was committed to serving Nigeria in any capacity.
According to him, his interest was to see the lives of people transformed for good. He also stressed his patriotism for Nigeria which led him to reject United States citizenship.
“Look, the only thing that makes me happy is seeing people’s lives transform and change. That’s what gives me satisfaction. So, I will be available to serve in any capacity—globally, in Africa, anywhere, including my own country, Nigeria,” he stated.
