Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has been re-elected as the Chairman of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media & Publicity, Mr. Ngelale, said in a statement Sunday that the President’s mandate was extended at the 65th Ordinary Session of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government on Sunday in Abuja, following the decision of the leaders to ensure continuity and consistency in meeting targets on security, reconciliation, and development.

What may still not be clear to the bewildered ECOWAS citizens are the leadership qualification for this position and the benefits this regional bloc brings on human development in the region.

President Tinubu has spent his first year as the ECOWAS leader having been first elected to the position in Guinea-Bissau on July 9, 2023.

In his acceptance speech, Tinubu said he would focus on consolidating the values of democracy and upholding the interest of the regional body, which will clock 50 years in 2025. This statement begs for further explanation on what the quality of value of democracy is in the region that that is still dominated by cases of shady elections and military coups.

Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger Republic are applauded by the majority of the region’s populations for leaving the poorly performing regional bloc. These countries have been widely reported as the most progressive since their exit from ECOWAS.

Tinubu said he has appoined President of Senegal, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, to please become our Special Envoy to Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger Republic, along with the President of Togo, Faure Gnassingbé.

Bassirou Diomaye Faye, recently elected as President of Senegal in one of the most exemplary elections in the region, stands out as one of the youngest leaders with a vision of liberating his country and Africa from Western exploitation. The duration of President Faye’s admiration will depend entirely on his ability to avoid the path taken by many puppet leaders dominating African politics. His commitment to genuine emancipation and sovereignty will be crucial in maintaining his popularity and effectiveness as a leader.

The re-appointed Chairman added that he will continue to serve our interest and build on democratic values and the structure that we inherited. He reiterated that he had earlier called on Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS to work towards the establishment and sustenance of a regional standby force for the security and economic advancement of the community.

The President emphasized the expediency of a standby force in the face of growing security threats in the region.