Some former African presidents have shown their support for the president of the African Development Bank, Akinwunmi Adesina. This was in a letter over the 16 count allegations levelled against him to which Adesina had stated his innocence. Although the ethics committee of the board of directors of the continental bank has cleared Adesina of these charges, the United States which is one of the major shareholders of the bank has called for an independent probe into the allegations.