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NewsDay

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Updated: End of the road for Zimbabwe’s candidate in AfDB race

Business
Sadc candidate, Thomas Sakala failed to land the AfDB presidency following his elimination in the 5th round of a grueling poll.

Sadc candidate, Thomas Sakala failed to land the African Development Bank (AfDB) presidency following his elimination in the fifth round of a grueling poll to elect the bank’s eighth president.

By Ndamu Sandu

The Zimbabwean Sakala had survived the first four rounds, but his hopes melted in the subsequent stanza, ending the hopes of a region that last provided a president 35 years ago.

The late Wila Mungomba from Zambia led AfDB from 1980 to 1985.

The new president will succeed Rwandan Donald Kaberuka, who is ending his second and final term on August 31. Three candidates Akinwumi Adesina (Nigeria), Kordje Bedoumra (Chad) and Cristina Duarte (Cape Verde) remain in the race for the top job.

Sakala went into the polls with 14,3% of the vote after Sadc agreed to field a single candidate. Sierra Leone’s Samura Kamara was voted out in the first round.

Ethiopia’s Sufian Ahmed, Birama Sidibe (Mali) and Tunisia’s Jalloul Ayed were eliminated in the second, third and fourth rounds, respectively.

AfDB has 80 shareholders. African members constitute 60% of the total voting power. Non-African members have 40% of the total voting power.

Nigerian agriculture minister Akinwumi Adeseni was elected President of the bank.

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