By Abiola Olawale
The tenure of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government has come to a close today, Sunday, July 7, 2024.
Tinubu is expected to hand over his baton to the new chairman at the ongoing 65th Ordinary Session of the Authority in Abuja.
The New Diplomat reports that Tinubu’s leadership tenure began in July 2023 when he was unanimously elected as chairman at the 63rd Ordinary Session in Bissau, Guinea-Bissau.
Throughout his term, the Nigerian leader faced significant challenges, particularly the occurrence of military coups in member states.
Tinubu adopted a firm stance against unconstitutional changes of government in Niger Republic, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Guinea, leading to the imposition of sanctions on these nations.
However, ECOWAS later lifted the sanctions, opting for a more diplomatic approach to address the issues.
In addition to managing regional instability, Tinubu played a crucial role in the success of the 2024 Senegalese elections by facilitating dialogue among stakeholders.
The outcome of the Extraordinary Summit will be pivotal for ECOWAS as it navigates these complex issues and charts a path forward under potentially continued or new leadership.
