The President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Akinwunmi Adesina, has dismissed claims linking him to Nigeria’s 2027 presidential race, clarifying that his remarks were misinterpreted.

Recent media reports suggested Adesina hinted at contesting for the presidency in a recent interview. However, he refuted the claims, stating that he never made such a declaration.

In a post on his X handle on Friday, Adesina said, “A segment of my recent interview on @ARISEtv has been both misinterpreted and misrepresented in several Nigerian media outlets. What I said was, ‘I will be available to serve in any capacity, globally, in Africa, anywhere, including my own country.’”

He further emphasized, “A listen to the substantive and robust interview, which is available online, will show this to be the case. For clarity and for the record, I did not say that I am running for the office of President of Nigeria.”

This is not the first time Adesina has distanced himself from Nigeria’s presidential race. Before the 2023 elections, he dismissed similar speculations, stating that while he was honored by the support, his responsibilities at AfDB did not allow him to consider running for office.

“I remain fully engaged and committed to the mission that Nigeria, Africa, and all the non-African shareholders of the African Development Bank have given me for Africa’s development,” he said at the time.

Adesina, who served as Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture under President Goodluck Jonathan, was first elected AfDB president in 2015 and secured reelection in 2020. His tenure is set to conclude in May 2025.