2nd May, 2015
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar over the weekend commenced lobby for the candidacy of Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina as President of the African Development Bank (AfDB).
A statement issued by the Atiku Media Office in Abuja said that Atiku Abubakar’s shuttle diplomacy to shore up much-needed support for the Nigerian candidate follows a mandate from President-elect General Muhammadu Buhari to the former Vice President to leverage on his contacts to lobby for the emergence of Adesina.
President-elect Buhari who backs the candidacy of Adesina had last month conveyed his support to the President of Ghana, John Mahama when the two leaders met in Abuja.
According to the statement, Atiku travelled with Adesina to South Africa over the weekend where the two met with President Zuma at the Presidential Residence in Durban.
“His Excellency former Vice President Atiku Abubakar met President Zuma in the company of Dr Akinwumi Adesina during which the directive of President-elect General Muhammadu Buhari was conveyed to Zuma. The issue of South Africa and the Southern African region support for Nigeria’s candidate was exhaustively discussed and well appreciated.”