President Bola Tinubu has urged the leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to follow Ghana’s example of democratic maturity, following the country’s recent successful presidential and parliamentary elections.
Tinubu made the statement during the 66th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government in Abuja on Sunday.
Ghana’s elections saw former President John Mahama re-elected after defeating incumbent Vice President Mahamud Bawumia.
In an impressive display of political maturity, Bawumia conceded defeat and congratulated Mahama even before the official results were announced.
Tinubu, who serves as ECOWAS Chairman, praised this peaceful transition as a model for the region.
“Just a week ago, on December 7, 2024, presidential and parliamentary elections took place in Ghana, the second-largest democracy in our region.
One of the leading candidates, the incumbent Vice President, His Excellency Mahamud Bawumia, alongside his party, the New Patriotic Party (NPP), accepted the outcome of the election by congratulating President-elect John Dramani Mahama of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for his victory, even before the official results were announced,” Tinubu stated.
Tinubu also commended Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo, who was attending his final ECOWAS meeting as head of state, for overseeing a successful election.
He emphasized the importance of peaceful transitions and drew parallels to Nigeria’s own 2015 elections, urging other nations to prioritize national unity and political stability for the region’s progress.
The Nigerian leader further praised Senegal for its recent parliamentary elections and stressed the need for regional cooperation to improve the lives of citizens.
He noted that ECOWAS member states must work together to create an enabling environment for their people and raise living standards, citing the strengthened economic cooperation through ECOWAS policies.
After the speeches, the meeting continued in a closed-door session.
