Akinwumi Adesina meets Buhari — amid AfDB crisis

President Muhammadu Buhari is currently meeting with Akinwumi Adesina, president of African Development Bank (AfDB), at the presidential villa, Abuja.

The meeting comes amid the allegations of impropriety levelled against Adesina at the Abidjan-based financial institution.

Some whistleblowers in the organisation had written a petition against him but the bank’s ethics committee cleared him after investigating the issues.

However, the United States Department of Treasury dismissed the outcome of the probe, calling for an independent investigation of the allegations.

This had irked some African leaders, including former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, who accused the US of undue interference.

AfDB, a regional multilateral institution, is owned by African countries but the US is a major investor.

Nigerian and other African leaders have been rallying round Adesina, who is about to complete his five-year-tenure but has indicated interest in another term.