During the inauguration of the 6th Legislature of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament, Senator Jibrin Barau, Deputy President of the Nigerian Senate, was elected as the 1st Deputy Speaker of the regional body.
The ceremony, presided over by Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, Chair of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the regional body, took place in Abuja in accordance with the Supplementary Act on the Enhancement of Powers of the regional legislature.
The substantive Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament could not be elected due to the political situation in Togo, to which the position was allocated. Consequently, Senator Barau was nominated by Nigerian Parliament member Awaji-Inombek Dagomie Abiante and seconded by Senator Ireti Kingibe. His election was uncontested.
Traditionally, the office of the Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament is reserved for Nigeria when the country is not presiding as Speaker.
Additionally, Adjaratou Traore Coulibally from Cote d’Ivoire was elected as the Second Deputy Speaker, securing 54 votes, while Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin from Ghana won the position of Third Deputy Speaker unanimously. Billay Tunkara from The Gambia clinched the position of Fourth Deputy Speaker with 47 votes, defeating Orlando Pereira Dias from Cabo Verde, who received 7 votes.
Sidie Mohammed Tunis, the outgoing Speaker of the Parliament, expressed gratitude for the opportunity to serve for four years and reiterated his commitment to the regional body. Tunis, serving as ceremonial speaker due to Togo’s inability to produce the Speaker, announced plans to engage with Togolese authorities to facilitate the inauguration of their delegation and thereby elect a Speaker to lead the institution.
Addressing the gathering, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, underscored the pivotal role of the Parliament in addressing the region’s challenges, including peace, stability, security, and unity. He emphasized the importance of synergy between the Parliament and other ECOWAS institutions, urging continued collaboration to advance the organization’s goals.
