Akinwunmi Adesina, who is serving his second term as AfDB President is yet to react on the development.
By Emma Ogbuehi
The drama that has characterised the race for the presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) continued on Saturday with the President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Akinwumi Adesina, joining the contest.
Like many of those before him, a coalition of 28 groups consisting of Youth Arise Movement, Nigerians in Diaspora, One Nigeria Group, Prudent Youth Association of Nigeria, women groups, farmers, people with disabilities and other civil society groups, were said to have raised the N100 million to purchase the presidential nomination and expression of interest forms for the former Agriculture Minister.
The coalition is led by the Head, One Nigeria Group, Mohammed Saleh.
The move put paid to weeks of speculations that some APC chieftains were mounting pressure on Akinwunmi Adesina to enter the race and that it would be easier to secure presidential approval for his bid.
Meanwhile, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, on Saturday declined the form bought for him in similar circumstance, saying he has not taken a stance yet on the 2023 Presidency.
A group comprising of farmers were said to have bought the form for him on Friday, eliciting a flurry of angry reactions from Nigerians,
Ondo State Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and member of the APC, asked Emefiele to resign forthwith or be sacked.
Unlike Akinwunmi Adesina who is yet to react, in a series of tweets on Saturday, Emefiele thanked those who bought the forms for him, but added that if he decided to contest, he would use his personal resources to procure the forms.
He added that he would take a decision in the days ahead.
“I am humbled by the growing interest of those asking that I run for the Office of President in the 2023 general elections. I have not come to that decision. I note and salute the sacrifices of those farmers and patriots going as far as raising personal funds and offering me Presidential Nomination Forms: I thank them most profusely.”
“However, Should I answer their calls and decide to seek presidential nomination, I will use my own hard-earned savings from over 35 years of banking leadership to buy my own Nomination Forms, without proxies in an open and transparent manner in full compliance with the laws and Constitution of The Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“And should I not run for elected office, I will continue to serve and sacrifice for the good people of Nigeria under the able leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari. This is a serious decision that requires God’s Divine intervention: in the next few days The Almighty will so direct,” he tweeted.
Akinwunmi Adesina, who is serving his second term as AfDB President is yet to react on the development.