Nigeria’s president Bola Tinubu says he will support a proposal pushing for the direct election of members into the parliament of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Tinubu spoke in Abuja on Thursday during the swearing-in of 97 members into the 6th ECOWAS parliament at the International Conference Centre.
The representatives are chosen from among national parliaments by the parliamentarians.
Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso have no representatives in the sixth parliament as these states had expressed their intention to exit the bloc.
ECOWAS Commission President, Dr. Omar Touray, President Tinubu appealed to the trio to reconsider their stance as their exit could spell far-reaching consequences for their citizens as well as the region.
The ECOWAS chairman said the proposal for a direct election would allow citizens of member states to have a say in selecting their representatives.
He assured members of the sixth ECOWAS Parliament that Nigeria, as a host community, will continue to support.
The parliament is composed of 115 seats and each member state has a guaranteed minimum of five seats while the remaining 40 seats are shared based on population.
However, only 97 members, comprising lawmakers from various member states, were sworn in Thursday.
Bola Tinubu-President Federal Republic Of Nigeria
Dr. Omar Touray- ECOWAS Commission President
