The Minister of Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, has been appointed as the Returning Officer for the presidential elections of the African Development Bank (AfDB) at the Bank’s ongoing Annual Meetings.

The elections are being held to select a successor to Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, the 8th elected President of the AfDB Group, who was first elected on May 28, 2015, by the Bank’s Board of Governors during its Annual Meetings in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

Five candidates from across the continent are vying for the presidency:

                1.            Mr. Amadou Hott – Senegal

                2.            Dr. Samuel Munzele Maimbo – Zambia

                3.            Dr. Sidi Ould Tah – Mauritania

                4.            Mr. Abbas Mahamat Tolli – Chad

                5.            Ms. Bajabulile Swazi Tshabalala – South Africa

In his role as Returning Officer, Dr. Forson is responsible for ensuring the integrity and smooth conduct of the voting process, as outlined in Article 5 of the Bank’s electoral rules.

His duties include verifying that the ballot box is empty before each round of voting, confirming the number of ballots cast matches the number of eligible voters, rejecting invalid ballots, and certifying that only valid votes are counted.

He will be supported by the Secretary General, the General Counsel, and a technical team responsible for ensuring the accuracy of vote tabulation in line with Article 7 of the rules.

Dr. Forson’s appointment to this pivotal role reflects the confidence the AfDB Board of Governors places in his integrity, professionalism, and deep commitment to transparency and good governance in multilateral financial institutions.