2027: Akinwunmi Adesina denies declaring presidential ambition amid media speculation
On Thursday, February 13, 2025, Akinwunmi Adesina, the President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), clarified that he never expressed an intention to run for Nigeria’s presidency in 2027. This follows reports that emerged after a recent interview, where Adesina was allegedly quoted as hinting at a potential presidential bid.
In a statement shared on his X handle, Adesina addressed the misunderstanding, explaining that his comments had been misinterpreted by several Nigerian media outlets. He clarified, “A segment of my recent interview on @ARISEtv has been both misinterpreted and misrepresented. What I said was, ‘I will be available to serve in any capacity, globally, in Africa, anywhere, including my own country.’”
He emphasized that a full review of the interview, which is available online, would reveal his actual statement. “For clarity and for the record, I did not say that I am running for the office of President of Nigeria,” Adesina added.
This is not the first time Adesina, whose tenure as AfDB president is set to end in May 2025, has distanced himself from speculations regarding his candidacy. Ahead of the 2023 elections, he also issued a statement ruling himself out of the presidential race.
Adesina, who previously served as Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture under President Goodluck Jonathan, has led the AfDB since 2015 and was reelected for a second term in 2020.
