One question on the lips of many followers of the African Development Bank (AfDB) before its just concluded 50th Annual Meetings in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire last week was who will come top in the development bank’s Presidential elections. The question became imperative because of the gripping nature of the race and the lobbying that followed the high level power play against the credentials of the eight candidates that vied for the position.

Apart from Nigeria’s candidate, Dr. Adesina Akinwumi, other candidates in the election were: Sufian Ahmed (Ethiopia); Jaloul Ayed (Tunisia); Kordjé Bedoumra (Chad);Cristina Duarte (Cabe Verde); Samura M W Kamara (Sierra Leone);Thomas Z Sakala (Zimbabwe) and Birama Boubacar Sidibé (Mali).

They all paraded credentials that can make them take over the leadership of the development bank from the outgoing President Donald Kaberuka, who led the AfDB for ten years.

A well placed source disclosed that there were behind the scene moves by the various governments of the candidates for their nationals to win the elections. So, it was not surprising that there were alleged gang up by some regional blocks against the candidacy of Nigeria, just as they said there was an unwritten agreement that Nigeria and South Africa should not lead the bank as the continent’s economic power.

Read More: vanguardngr