Minister for Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, has been appointed as the Returning Officer for the presidential elections of the African Development Bank (AfDB) during the Bank’s ongoing Annual Meetings.
The elections aim 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 Africa are contesting the presidency:
Mr. Amadou Hott – Senegal
Dr. Samuel Munzele Maimbo – Zambia
Dr. Sidi Ould Tah – Mauritania
Mr. Abbas Mahamat Tolli – Chad
Ms. Bajabulile Swazi Tshabalala – South Africa
As Returning Officer, Dr. Forson is responsible for ensuring the integrity and smooth conduct of the voting process in accordance with Article 5 of the Bank’s electoral rules.
His duties include verifying that the ballot box is empty before each round, 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 charged with ensuring the accuracy of vote tabulation, as stipulated in Article 7 of the rules.
Dr. Forson’s appointment highlights the confidence the AfDB Board of Governors has in his integrity, professionalism, and commitment to transparency and good governance in multilateral financial institutions.
Source: Ministry of Finance
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