Following the verdict that exonerated Akinwumi Adesina, African Development Bank (AfDB) president, of any wrongdoing, African Diplomatic Corps (ADC) has endorsed his re-election ahead of the August 27 elections.
In a letter addressed to the United States, the largest non-regional shareholder of AfDB, on behalf of the ADC, an international development organisation based in Washington, Serge Mombouli, Ambassador Extraordinary & Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Congo and Dean of the African Diplomatic Corps in the US, said ADC is in support of Adesina’s re-election.
Recall that the Special Committee set up by Board of Governors of the AfDB recently cleared Adesina of any wrongdoing, reinforcing his innocence of allegations that had threatened to truncate his second term bid.
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The committee chaired by former Irish President Mary Robinson sent in its findings on July 28 saying “it has considered the President’s submissions on their face and finds them consistent with his innocence and to be persuasive”.
“Adesina is the sole candidate and has received the full endorsement of the Africa Union,” Mombouli said in the letter dated July 29, 2020.
While commending Adesina for his visionary leadership and outstanding development results attained by the bank under his tenure, Mombouli urged the US and all other shareholders to “continue to strongly support the president of the Bank and the AfDB group, going forward, especially at this period of global COVID-19 pandemic”.
