In a decisive move, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has re-elected President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria as the Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government for another one-year term.
Meeting at the 65th Ordinary Summit in Abuja on Sunday, July 8, 2024, ECOWAS leaders overwhelmingly chose to extend Tinubu’s tenure, recognizing his effective leadership during a turbulent period marked by military coups and security challenges.
President Tinubu, upon accepting his re-election, appointed the President of Senegal to join in mediation efforts with Burkina Faso, Niger, and Chad.
During his first term, Tinubu prioritized good governance, democracy, and economic integration as the keys to addressing the root causes of instability in West Africa. He advocated for a collective approach to tackling the region’s security threats, including the jihadist insurgency in the Sahel.
The decision to retain Tinubu as chairman comes as the bloc continues to grapple with the fallout from military takeovers in Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso. Under Tinubu’s first tenure, ECOWAS imposed tough sanctions on the junta-led states, leading them to withdraw from the regional organization and form a rival alliance, the Alliance of Sahel States (ASS).
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