President Bala Tinubu’s tenure as the chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Authority of Heads of State and Government concludes today, Sunday. The 65th Ordinary Session of the Authority is being held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, where Tinubu is expected to pass on the leadership to another head of state.
Tinubu was unanimously endorsed as chairman in July 2024 during the 63rd Ordinary Session of the Authority in Bissau, Guinea-Bissau. His tenure has been marked by significant challenges, particularly military coups in member states such as Niger Republic, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Guinea.
Initially, President Tinubu took a firm stance against unconstitutional changes of government, overseeing the imposition of sanctions on the affected countries. However, these sanctions were later lifted as ECOWAS adopted a more peaceful approach to resolving the crises.
In addition to addressing these challenges, President Tinubu played a critical role in facilitating dialogue between stakeholders in the 2024 Senegalese election, ensuring its success. Throughout his tenure, he demonstrated a strong commitment to promoting democracy within the sub-region.
As his tenure concludes, the sub-regional body looks forward to continued efforts to uphold democratic values and stability in West Africa under new leadership.
