Nigeria’s President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, says he will throw his weight behind a proposal pushing for the direct election of members into the parliament of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Tinubu spoke in Abuja on Thursday during the swearing-in of 97 members into the 6th ECOWAS parliament at the International Conference Centre.
The parliament is composed of 115 seats and each member state has a guaranteed minimum of five seats while the remaining 40 seats are shared based on population.
The representatives are chosen from among national parliaments by the parliamentarians.
The ECOWAS chairman said the proposal for a direct election would allow citizens of member states to have a say in selecting their representatives.
“The practice of directly electing public officers aligns with democratic principles, principles that Nigeria upholds,” the president said.
“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.”
The members of parliament sworn in include 35 from Nigeria and five each from Benin Republic, Cabo Verde, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Sierra Leon, and Togo.
Others include eight members from Ghana, seven from Cote d’Ivoire, and six each from Senegal and Guinea.
Mali, Niger Republic, and Burkina Faso are not represented in the sixth parliament due to their announced intention to exit the bloc.
Tinubu urged the three member states to reconsider their decision, stressing the potential implications for their citizens and the broader regional stability.
