Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), has dismissed speculations that he intends to contest in Nigeria’s 2027 presidential election.
In a post on his X (formerly Twitter) handle on Thursday, Adesina clarified that his recent comments during an Arise TV interview were misinterpreted.
His words: “A segment of my recent interview has been both misinterpreted and misrepresented in several Nigerian media outlets,”
“For clarity and for the record, I did not say that I am running for the office of President of Nigeria.”
During the interview on Monday, Adesina was asked about his future after his AfDB tenure ends later this year. He responded by saying he would be “available to serve in any capacity, globally, in Africa, or in Nigeria.”
The comment sparked widespread speculation that he was hinting at a presidential bid. However, Adesina noted that his statement was about public service in general, not a political ambition.
Adesina, who served as Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture from 2010 to 2015 before leading AfDB for a decade, is set to step down from the bank later this year.