Buhari sends Atiku to lobby Zuma for Adesina

President-elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, has sent former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar as his emissary to South African President Jacob Zuma to lobby for the candidacy of Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, as president of the African Development Bank.

This was contained in a statement issued by the Atiku Media Office in Abuja on Saturday.

According to the statement, Abubakar’s shuttle diplomacy is to shore up the much-needed support for the Nigerian candidate.

The statement explained that this follows a mandate from the President-elect to the former Vice-President to leverage on his contacts to lobby for the emergence of Adesina.

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.

The statement said Atiku travelled with Adesina to South Africa during the weekend, where the two met with President Zuma at the Presidential Residence in Durban.

It further stated, “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’s support for Nigeria’s candidate was exhaustively discussed and well appreciated.”