APA – Lagos (Nigeria) President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of Nigeria has been elected as the Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government at the 63rd Ordinary Session of the Authority held on Sunday, July 9, 2023, in Bissau, Guinea-Bissau.
President Tinubu takes over from President Umaro Sissoco Embaló of Guinea-Bissau.
According to the statement by the ECOWAS Commission, The Authority of ECOWAS Heads of States and Governments discussed the security and political situations in the Region among other issues during the 63rd Ordinary Session of the Authority.
Meanwhile, the Special Adviser to the Nigerian President on Special Duties, Communications and Strategy, Mr. Dele Alake, said in a statement that the Nigerian President has called on ECOWAS to “stand firm on democracy,” declaring that, “We will not accept coup after coup in West Africa again. Democracy is very difficult to manage, but it is the best form of government.”
The statement added that Tinubu, who in a unanimous endorsement, emerged as the new Chairman of the ECOWAS at the 63rd Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government on Sunday in Bissau, Guinea-Bissau, in his remarks, warned that terrorism and the emerging pattern of coup d’etat in West Africa had reached alarming levels and demanded urgent, concerted actions.
It noted that Tinubu, who accepted the honour on behalf of Nigeria, pledged to bear the responsibility of the office and run an inclusive administration of the regional organisation.
He therefore called for collective action from member-states, pledging that under his leadership, frameworks would be harmonised to actualise the dreams of ECOWAS.
While decrying the emerging pattern of coup in West Africa, Tinubu charged ECOWAS to stand firm in defence of democracy.
“There is no one among us who did not campaign to be a leader. We didn’t give our soldiers resources, we didn’t invest in them, in their boots, in their training to violate the freedom of the people,” Tinubu added.
GIK/APA