Elections are being held to select a successor to Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, the 8th elected President of the African Development Bank (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.
In this vein, Ghana’s Minister for 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.
Five candidates from across the continent are vying for 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
In his role as Returning Officer, Dr. Forson will be 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.
About Dr. Ato Forson
Dr. Forson is a Ghanaian Legislator, Fiscal Economist, Chartered Accountant, Tax practitioner and Entrepreneur with professional experience spanning two decades in both private and public sectors.
Prior to recently becoming Ghana’s Minister for Finance, He was the managing director of Forson Contracts Limited in the United Kingdom. And he also served as the chief executive officer for Omega Africa Holding Limited.
Throughout his career, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson has been a strong advocate of good governance, transparency and accountability. He is widely respected in the Central Region and across Ghana for his dedication to the service of his country and constituents.
Cassiel Ato Forson obtained his first degree in accounting at the South Bank University in London. A master of Science in Taxation from the University of Oxford, UK and another Master of Science degree in economics from KNUST. He also obtained a PhD in Business and Management (finance option) in September 2020 from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Ghana.
He is a member of the Seventh Parliament of the Fourth Republic of Ghana since 2009 representing the Ajumako-Enyan-Esiam Constituency in the Central Region of Ghana.
Dr. Forson is a staunch member of Ghana’s current major political party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
