The President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Akinwumi Adesina, has hinted at a potential bid for Nigeria’s presidency as political discussions for the 2027 elections gain momentum.
Adesina, from Oyo State, who served as Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development from 2010 to 2015, is nearing the end of his second and final term as AfDB president.
In an interview on Arise TV, Adesina said he is open to serving in any capacity, including the Nigerian presidency, after his tenure.
When interviewer Rufai Oseni asked if he would consider running for president, Adesina responded, “What do you think you should be doing?”
Oseni pressed further, and Adesina said, “I always believe in the providence of God, in His grace. I don’t see myself as anything more than an instrument in God’s hands to help people. The only thing that makes me happy—there’s nothing else—is seeing lives transformed. That’s what gives me satisfaction. As a result, I will be available to serve in any capacity, globally, in Africa, anywhere—including in my own country, Nigeria.”
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Adesina referenced a Nigerian song by Davido, saying, “I remember one of my favourite songs by the great Nigerian pop artist, Davido. That song says, ‘I’m unavailable, dem no dey see me.’ But in the case of service of any kind, I would ask Davido to change the lyrics to: ‘I am available.’ So, yes, I will be available to serve, to do whatever God has in store for me.”
But a moderate northern politician, Senator Shehu Sani warns Adesina to tread with caution.
In an X post earlier on Tuesday, Sani, who represented Kaduna Central in the upper legislative house between 2015 and 2019, asked Adesina to beware of “drumbeats of politicians” in order not to fall into their “crocodiles and sharks infested political streams” – whatever he meant by that.
Sani, is an ardent supporter of President Bola Tinubu.
Mr Adesina, 65, is due to finish his tenure at the AfDB later this year.
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