Breaking : President Tinubu New ECOWAS Chairman

publisher July 10, 2023 3 minutes read

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has elected President Bola Tinubu as its new Chairman.

Upon his Sunday emergence in Guinea-Bissau, he declared, “We will take democracy seriously, democracy is very tough but it is the best form of government.”

Tinubu is taking over for Guinea Bissau’s outgoing president, Umaro Embalo.

According to Channels TV, Tinubu’s rise to power was announced at the 63rd Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS.

Since taking office on May 29, 2023, the President’s first official assignment on the African continent was the 63rd Ordinary Session summit.

Tinubu, the newest member of the select group of West African Heads of State, vowed to shoulder the weight of the office and lead an open and inclusive administration of the regional organisation.

The Nigerian leader, however, warned that terrorism and a new pattern of military takeovers have reached a “alarming proportion” and call for immediate and coordinated action.

He claimed that the region’s development was being stymied by a combination of insecurity and sneaking terrorism.

Tinubu urged member states to work together, saying that, with his guidance, ECOWAS would finally be able to realise its goals.

As a result, immediate action is required to address the threats to peace and security. True, regional development and progress will remain elusive in the absence of peace. According to a statement released by his spokesman, Dele Alake, Tinubu emphasised the importance of continuing to use all available regional frameworks in the fight against the threat of insecurity.

ECOWAS’s security architecture, the president said, “covers a wide range of areas that involved kinetic and non-kinetic operations, including preventive diplomacy.” The ECOWAS Standby Force on the Fight Against Terrorism has also been operationalized, and there is also a Regional Plan of Action on Counterterrorism for 2020–2024.

I will personally see to it that we immediately harmonise these plans and that the necessary resources and political will are mobilised to put these initiatives into action. He went on to say that because terrorists don’t care about national borders, a regional counterterrorism strategy requires cooperation between countries.

Tinubu condemned the growing trend of military coups in West Africa and urged ECOWAS to take a strong stance in defence of democracy.

The defence of democracy requires unwavering resolve. Without Democracy, there can be no government, no freedom, and no rule of law. We will not stand for continued coup d’états in West Africa. Despite its complexity, democracy is the best form of government.

No one in this room did not run for office at some point. We didn’t equip our troops with weapons, money, or supplies so they could abuse the rights of the people. It goes against the principles on which they were hired, namely, to defend the sovereignty of their nations, if they turn their guns on civil authorities. The president emphasised that we cannot participate in ECOWAS as “toothless bulldogs.”