Akinwumi Adesina denies declaring interest in 2027 presidential election

• Adesina was first elected to lead the AfDB in 2015.
• He secured a second term at the bank in 2020.

President of the African Development Bank, Akinwumi Adesina, has addressed recent statements about Nigeria.

In a recent Arise Television interview, Adesina expressed his willingness to serve the nation after completing his term at the bank.

He emphasised his readiness to take on any role, whether globally, in Africa, or in Nigeria.

“I will be available to serve in any capacity, globally, in Africa, anywhere, including my own country, Nigeria,” he had said.

Adesina’s comments sparked speculation about a potential presidential run in 2027.

However, in a Thursday post on X, Adesina clarified that his words were misinterpreted.

“A segment of my recent interview on Arise TV has been both misinterpreted and misrepresented in several Nigerian media outlets,” he said.

“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 first became AfDB President in 2015 and secured a second term in 2020.