President Bola Tinubu, also advocated for the regional coalition to alter its methodology towards the political turmoil in the constituent states under military governance. The Chair of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Nigeria’s President, Bola Tinubu, has implored the regional entity to re-evaluate its strategy in ensuring constitutional governance in Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea, and Niger. Articulating his sentiments during his inaugural speech at the extraordinary summit concerning peace, political, and security matters in the ECOWAS sub-region convened in Abuja, the President conveyed that the prevailing circumstances within the region necessitate arduous yet bold resolutions.
Furthermore, he beseeched the trio of member states that proclaimed their withdrawal from ECOWAS to reconsider their stance and not construe the alliance as an adversary. He articulated, “Times such as the present in our sub-region demand that we embrace challenging yet courageous resolutions that prioritize the predicaments of our populace in our discussions. “The essence of democracy lies in being the political framework and avenue for addressing the fundamental necessities and aspirations of the populace. Hence, we must reassess our existing approach to the pursuit of constitutional governance in four of our Member States. Consequently, I implore them to reassess the decision of the trio to secede from their alliance and avoid perceiving our organization as adversarial.
The Nigerian leader further acknowledged that the intricacies of the prevailing circumstances mandate a comprehensive and cooperative approach. “As such, it is imperative upon us to partake in constructive discourse, exercise astute discernment, and collaborate towards devising enduring resolutions that will culminate in sustainable tranquility, security, and political stability in our locality. “The weightiness of our duties as leaders in these testing times cannot be overstated, and it is through our unified endeavors and profound sense of history that we can confront these challenges in the spirit of collective vision, solidarity, and communal obligations,” he articulated.
