The re-election of Nigerian President Bola Tinubu as chairman of the regional block, Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) declared the failure of the region’s leadership and disappointment to all ECOWAS citizens.
It is very disappointing for the West African leaders who attended the just concluded 65th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government to re-elect a president who is struggling with his first term in office.
He was elected in front of Presidents who have served their countries for the first term and Tinubu, since taking over the region block has been hated with problems with the withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger formalized their breakaway union.
Under Tinubu’s leadership, ECOWAS has failed and is facing several significant challenges, including political instability in member states, economic disruptions, and security threats from extremist groups.
His re-election suggests a continued failure of democratic values, economic growth, and regional stability.
Where are Maada Bio, Joseph Boakai, Adama Barrow, and the rest, are they, not fate to chair the affairs of ECOWAS? Was Tinubu re-elected for hosting the summit or by funding bills for his counterparts?
The military regimes of Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso marked their divorce from the rest of West Africa and they signed a treaty setting up a confederation between them.
The first summit of the three countries, who all pulled out of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) this year, also saw calls for greater cooperation across a wide range of sectors.
“Our people have irrevocably turned their backs on ECOWAS,” Niger’s ruling General Abdourahamane Tiani told his fellow Sahel strongmen at the gathering’s opening in the Nigerien capital, Niamey.
The head of the Ecowas Commission said the move was a major blow to the 50-year-old bloc and could have serious consequences if they do not reverse their decision.
The junta’s confederation is a “very big blow” to the bloc as the three are all founding members of Ecowas, which was established in 1975.
Ecowas should make an effort to avoid becoming an institutional laughing stock, because how can you implement this… when most of the other countries claiming to uphold that demand for democracy are not themselves true democracies.