Tinubu backs direct election for Ecowas
President Bola Tinubu announced his endorsement of a proposition to implement direct elections for members of the parliament of the Economic Community of West African States.
Tinubu stated that the action will provide individuals from member states with the opportunity to have a voice in selecting their representatives.”Having been a legislator in the past, I am eager to examine the proposal concerning this issue.” Tinubu expressed his support for the implementation of direct elections into the ECOWAS parliament while presiding over the swearing-in ceremony of 97 members of the 6th ECOWAS parliament at the Abuja International Conference Centre.
He made his remarks in light of the fact that current legislators from the 15 member nations make up the ECOWAS parliament.
The President expressed that the act of directly selecting public officials is in accordance with democratic ideals, which Nigeria strongly supports. This idea is also consistent with the essence of the ECOWAS agreement on democracy and good governance.”We are confident that this will ensure that citizens have a direct voice in their representation, as well as the resulting legitimacy and credibility.
“He pledged to the members of the sixth ECOWAS Parliament that Nigeria, in its role as the host community, will persist in providing assistance to help them accomplish their goals.Articles 6 and 13 of the ECOWAS Revised Treaty of 1993 established the ECOWAS parliament, also known as the Community Parliament.
On August 6, 1994, in Abuja, they signed the inaugural protocol creating the parliament.
This protocol established the parliament’s organisation, makeup, competence, and other relevant matters.The parliament consists of 115 seats. Each member state receives a minimum of five representatives, with the distribution of the remaining 40 seats based on population.
However, only 97 legislators from various member nations officially took office on Thursday.
The group consists of 35 members from Nigeria and five members each from the Benin Republic, Cabo Verde, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Togo.Additionally, there are eight individuals from Ghana, seven from Cote d’Ivoire, and six from both Senegal and Guinea.
The sixth parliament does not have representation for Mali, Niger, or Burkina Faso because these governments have expressed a desire to leave the union.
President Tinubu urged the three individuals to rethink their positions, as their departure might have significant ramifications for both their citizens and the region, referencing prior statements made by ECOWAS Commission President Dr. Omar Touray.
By Nnaemeka Odenigbo
