The President of African Development Bank, Akinwumi Adesina said the former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar was instrumental to his election as the President of the African Development Bank.
Adesina who was Speaker at the 12tg Commencement Ceremony of the American University of Nigeria ( AUN) in Yola on Saturday said that after former President, Goodluck Jonathan nominated him for the position, he was asked to see some prominent Nigerians to help him secure the seat
He said he met former presidents,Olusegun Obasanjo, Yakubu Gowon and the then newly elected president, Muhammadu Buhari who also endorsed his candidacy, however, General Abdulsalami Abubakar called and asked him to see Atiku to ensure his success at the election.
“When I was running for election to be President of the African Development Bank,I needed help from all sides.President Jonathan had nominated me to be the candidate of Nigeria then, President Buhari had just won the election,and I had to be the Nigeria’s candidate. And I remember the evening that General Abdulsalam called me and said you know you gonna need help especially in Southern African region to be able to win this election.I said Sir ,where am I going to get that help from? He said you need to go and see hie Excellency, Atiku Abubakar.
” I had a lot of support from former President, Yakubu Gowon and of course,Vice President,Namadi Sambo and his excellency did not hesitate,he took me,flew me on his jet,we went to South Africa to see the President of South Africa.And I had only five minutes to make my case.And he was standing right beside me. I remember the President of South Africa looked at him and said” I think I have In front of me the future president of the African Development Bank.
” I want to publicly thank you your Excellency, because without that journey of helping my destiny,I probably wouldn’t be president of the African Development Bank.So I want to thank you very much sir for that journey you took me to South Africa.
Adesina described Atiku Abubakar, the founder of the school as a lover of Education and its power to create transformational change.
The AFDB President said the AUN reflected Nigeria’s diversity saying he loved the diversity in the International Students Faculty comprising students from South Africa, ,Cote’d voire, Rwanda, Cameroon, India and Romania.
He charged the graduating students to be good ambassadors of Nigeria while expressing optimism that they would look back in the future and be thankful for the heights the country had attained.
