During the inaugural session of the Sixth Legislature of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament held in Abuja on Thursday, Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin emerged as the acting Speaker. Jibrin, leading the Nigerian delegation to the ECOWAS Parliament, was nominated for the position of 1st Deputy Speaker by Rep Awaji-Inombek D. Abiante and seconded by Senator Ireti Kingibe, as stated by his special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ismail Mudashir.
Traditionally, the Speakership of the ECOWAS Parliament’s Sixth Legislature is zoned to the Republic of Togo, per Decision A/DEC. 6/06/06 of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government. However, due to the absence of the Togolese delegation during the inauguration, Edwin Melvin Snowe JR, a Liberian, was elected as Speaker Pro-tempore.
To prevent a vacuum in leadership, Senator Barau, as the 1st Deputy Speaker, was appointed to act as the Speaker of the Parliament until the Togolese delegation is inaugurated. Other elected deputy speakers include Honourable Adjaratou Traore Coulibaly from Cote D’ Ivoire as 2nd Deputy Speaker, Honourable Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin from Ghana as 3rd Deputy Speaker, and Honourable Billay G Tunkara from Gambia as Fourth Deputy Speaker.
The opening ceremony was graced by the presence of President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Chairman of ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, Senator Bola Tinubu. In his address, President Tinubu emphasized the importance of regional solidarity to strengthen the bloc’s resilience and effectiveness amid current challenges.
The Sixth Legislature of the ECOWAS Parliament comprises lawmakers from Nigeria, Benin Republic, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cote D’ Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Senegal, and Sierra Leone. Established under Articles 6 and 13 of the ECOWAS revised treaty of 1993, the ECOWAS Parliament serves as a forum for representatives of West African peoples to promote integration and dialogue. With 115 seats, it plays a crucial role in fostering cooperation and consensus-building within the region.
