President Bola Tinubu has promised to support a proposal for the direct election of members to the parliament of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Tinubu, who is the Chairman of ECOWAS, made this commitment on Thursday during the swearing-in ceremony of 97 members into the 6th ECOWAS parliament at the International Conference Centre in Abuja.
He emphasized that direct elections would allow citizens of member states to choose their representatives.
Tinubu also reassured the members of the sixth ECOWAS Parliament that Nigeria, as the host country, will continue to assist them in achieving their goals.
He said, “As a one-time legislator myself, I look forward to reviewing the proposal regarding this matter. We stand to support the direct elections into ECOWAS parliament.
“The practice of directly electing public officers aligns with democratic principles, principles that Nigeria upholds.
“This principle is also in line with the spirit of the ECOWAS protocol on democracy and good governance.
“We believe this will ensure that citizens will have a direct say in their representation and the legitimacy and credibility it will provide.”
President Tinubu urged Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso to rethink their decision to leave ECOWAS, warning that it could have serious consequences for their citizens and the region.
The ECOWAS Parliament, also known as the Community Parliament, was created in accordance with the ECOWAS Revised Treaty of 1993.
