Ghana’s Minister of Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, has been appointed as the Returning Officer for the presidential elections of the African Development Bank (AfDB), currently underway during the Bank’s Annual Meetings.
The elections will determine the successor to Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, the Bank’s 8th elected President, who was first chosen by the Board of Governors on May 28, 2015, in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
Five distinguished candidates from across Africa are contesting the position:
- 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 charged with ensuring the integrity and transparency of the electoral process, in accordance with Article 5 of the Bank’s electoral rules.
His responsibilities include verifying the ballot box is empty before each voting round, confirming that the number of ballots cast aligns with the number of eligible voters, rejecting invalid ballots, and certifying only valid votes are counted.
Dr. Forson will be assisted by the Bank’s Secretary General, the General Counsel, and a technical team to ensure accurate vote tabulation, in line with Article 7 of the election guidelines.
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