President Bola Tinubu took the stage at the 64th Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government, addressing leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The summit, currently underway at the State House Conference Centre in Abuja, marks a crucial gathering of regional leaders.
In his address on Sunday, President Tinubu underscored the resilience of ECOWAS in pursuing its primary objective despite challenges posed by the Sahel Alliance, comprising Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso. He emphasized that the alliance, formed under military rule, would not diminish ECOWAS’s commitment to promoting good governance for the people of West Africa, a pivotal catalyst for socioeconomic transformation and development.
President Tinubu commented, “It is important that we also review some development in our sub-region, including the move by some of our members under Military rule to float an Alliance of Sahel States. This phantom, push back-alliance appears intended to divert attention from our mutual quest for democracy and good governance that will impact the life of our people.”
Refusing to be swayed from the collective pursuit of democracy and regional integration, President Tinubu reiterated the commitment to ECOWAS’s shared dreams and aspirations outlined in its institutional and legal frameworks.
The backdrop of this addresses the September 2023 explanation by Mali’s Assimi Goita, who assumed power through a military coup in 2020. Goita outlined the “Liptako-Gourma Charter” as the foundation for establishing an “Alliance of Sahel States.”
The ongoing summit serves as a platform for regional leaders to address critical issues, fostering collaboration and solidarity among ECOWAS member states. President Tinubu’s remarks reflect a steadfast commitment to the organization’s foundational principles despite external challenges, reinforcing the collective pursuit of democracy and good governance in the West African region.
