President Bola Tinubu has expressed his support for the proposal for the direct election of members into the parliament of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Speaking at the swearing-in ceremony of 97 members into the 6th ECOWAS parliament in Abuja, Tinubu, who is also the Chairman of ECOWAS, pledged to review the proposal and support the direct elections into the parliament.
Highlighting the importance of direct elections, Tinubu emphasized that it aligns with democratic principles and the ECOWAS protocol on democracy and good governance. He stated that direct elections would give citizens a direct say in their representation, enhancing the legitimacy and credibility of the parliament.
Tinubu assured the members of the ECOWAS Parliament of Nigeria's support as the host country, stating, "Nigeria will continue to support you to achieve your objectives." The ECOWAS parliament consists of 115 seats, with each member state having a guaranteed minimum of five seats, while the remaining 40 seats are allocated based on population.
The composition of the parliament includes 35 members from Nigeria and five each from Benin Republic, Cabo Verde, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Togo. Additionally, Ghana has eight members, Cote d'Ivoire seven, and Senegal and Guinea six each. Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso currently have no representatives in the sixth parliament, as they have expressed their intention to exit the bloc.
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