President Bola Tinubu has urged African leaders to emulate the smooth and transparent democratic process that led to a conduct of credible general election last week in Ghana
The Nigerian president, who presided over the 66th meeting of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on Sunday in Abuja, hailed Ghana’s recent peaceful and transparent general elections, recommending them as a model for the rest of West Africa.
He urged leaders across the region to draw inspiration from Ghana’s democratic maturity and commitment to national unity.
Tinubu commended President Nana Akufo-Addo and the people of Ghana for the resounding success of their presidential and parliamentary elections, setting a high standard for the region.
“I urge all of us in the region to learn from this good democratic practice and prioritize our country’s national unity to ensure political stability of the region so that this manner of peaceful transition becomes the culture of democracy not only in West Africa but also across the entire African continent,” Tinubu said.
He however, explained that the west African sub region region has continued to record democratic gains, despite some challenges
He highlighted the significant gesture made by one of the leading candidates, Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, who conceded defeat and congratulated President-elect John Dramani Mahama of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) even before the official announcement of the election results. Tinubu drew a parallel to Nigeria’s 2015 election, calling it a demonstration of political maturity and respect for the will of the people.
The Nigerian president also praised President Akufo-Addo for his exceptional leadership and unwavering commitment to ECOWAS during his two-year tenure, describing him as a formidable Pan-Africanist.
President Tinubu further congratulated the Government and people of Senegal on their successful parliamentary elections and commended Ghana’s Foreign Minister Shirley Ayokor Botchwey for her leadership of the ECOWAS Ministerial Committee on Reform, wishing her success in her new role as Secretary-General of the Commonwealth.
The president, who listed his achievements as ECOWAS president to include the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS) and the Common External Tariff (CET)
also emphasized the importance of regional infrastructure projects such as the West African Gas Pipeline, the West Africa Power Pool, and the modernization of key border posts. These projects have enhanced connectivity and promoted greater regional integration, he said.