Elections: Tinubu Urges ECOWAS Leaders To Learn From Ghana’s Example

President Bola Tinubu has urged leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to emulate Ghana’s democratic practice following a successful presidential and parliamentary elections in the country.

Former President John Mahama was reelected to lead Ghana once again last Saturday, defeating the incumbent Vice President, Mahamud Bawumia, who called to congratulate the winner even before the official results were declared.

In his opening speech at the 66th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government in Abuja on Sunday, Tinubu who is the Chairman said that what happened in Ghana is worthy of emulation by other countries in the region.

He hailed the incumbent President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo, who is attending the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government for the last time as President, for the successful election.

“Just a week ago on the 7th of December 2024, presidential election and parliamentary elections took place in Ghana which is the second largest democracy in our region. One of the leading candidates who happens to be the incumbent Vice President, His Excellency Mahamud Bawumia, together with the leading party, New Patriotic Party (NPP) conceded defeat and accepted the outcome of the election by congratulating the President-elect, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama of National Democratic Congress (NDC) for his victory even before the announcement of the official results.

“This gesture as it happened in Nigeria in 2015 demonstrated political maturity and respect for the wish of the people of Ghana. Today, we have the man I will refer to as Mr Democrat, I congratulate the President Nana Akufo -ddo and the people of Ghana for the successful elections and urge all of us in the region to learn from this good democratic practice and prioritise our countries’ national unity to ensure political stability of the region that this manner of peaceful transition recalls the culture of democracies not only in West Africa but also in the entire African continent,” Tinubu said.

The Nigerian leader also commended Senegal for a successful conduct of parliamentary elections recently.

Tinubu called for cooperation among the ECOWAS member states in protecting their citizens and providing an enabling environment for the citizens to thrive.

He said raising the living standards of the citizens is an obligation on the part of the citizens.

The ECOWAS chairman, however, noted that the economic cooperation has been bolstered by the various ECOWAS policies.

The meeting went into a closed door session after the speeches.