President Bola Tinubu Voices Backing for Direct Elections into ECOWAS Parliament
In a recent development, President Bola Tinubu has expressed his support for a proposal advocating the direct election of members into the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) parliament. Tinubu believes that this move would provide citizens of member states with a significant voice in determining their representatives.
During the swearing-in ceremony of 97 members into the 6th ECOWAS parliament at the Abuja International Conference Centre, Tinubu, a former legislator himself, expressed eagerness in reviewing the proposal. He emphasized Nigeria’s commitment to supporting the direct elections into the ECOWAS parliament, as it aligns with democratic principles and the ECOWAS protocol on democracy and good governance.
Tinubu reassured the members of the sixth ECOWAS Parliament that Nigeria, as the host nation, would continue to extend support to help them achieve their objectives. The ECOWAS parliament, also known as the Community parliament, was established under Articles 6 and 13 of the ECOWAS Revised Treaty of 1993.
The composition of the parliament includes a total of 115 seats, with each member state guaranteed a minimum of five seats. The remaining 40 seats are distributed based on population. Notably, only 97 members, comprising lawmakers from various member states, were sworn in during the recent ceremony. These members include representatives from Nigeria, Benin Republic, Cabo Verde, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Togo, Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Senegal, and Guinea.
Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, however, did not have any representatives in the sixth parliament, as these states had expressed their intention to exit the bloc. President Tinubu, referring to earlier remarks by the ECOWAS Commission President, Dr. Omar Touray, urged the three states to reconsider their decision, highlighting the potential far-reaching consequences for their citizens and the region.
Further updates on this matter will be provided in due course.