
By Kemi Yesufu
The Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic
Community of West African States (ECOWAS) met in an Extraordinary
Session on Tuesday with the decision to nominate a Senegalese candidate for the position of African Union (AU) chairperson.
ECOWAS leaders met via videoconference, under the chairmanship
of Mr. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, President of the Republic of
Ghana, and Chair of the Authority, in preparation for the 34th ordinary
Session of the Assembly of the African Union on the election of the new
management team of the African Union Commission.
The leaders in a communiqué issued after the meeting said a report on the nomination of Senegal for the top job had been adopted, even as they directed the President of the ECOWAS Commission to take the necessary steps to
immediately notify the African Union Commission of the nomination.
“The Authority also instructs the President of the Commission to
propose, for adoption, at the next Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government, a clear mechanism for the rotation of candidatures to ensure that each Member State has a legitimate opportunity to chair the
Assembly of the African Union.”, the communiqué read.
On the endorsement of Member States’ applications for
international positions, the Authority agreed on the order of priority of the Commissioner
positions for which ECOWAS nationals are still standing for election by the
Assembly of the African Union and made the necessary arbitrations between
Member States putting forward candidates for the same positions.
The Authority also agreed to prioritise support for the candidature of Nigeria to the
post of Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security Summit
Present at the Summit were the under-listed ECOWAS Heads of
State or their duly mandated representatives:
H.E. Roch Marc Christian Kabore, President of Burkina Faso
H.E. Jorge Carlos de Almeida Fonseca, President of the Republic of Cabo
Verde
H.E. Alassane Ouattara, President of the Republic of Cote d’lvoire
H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, President of the Republic of Ghana
H.E. Prof. Alpha Conde, President of the Republic of Guinea
H.E. Umaro Sissoco Embalo, President of the Republic of Guinea Bissau
H.E. Georges Manneh Weah, President of the Republic of Liberia
H.E. Macky Sall, President of the Republic of Senegal
H.E. Julius Maada Bio, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone
H.E. Faure Essozimna Gnassingbe, President of the Togolese Republic.
H.E. Yemi Osinbajo, Vice-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
H.E. Brigi Rafini, Prime Minister of the Republic of Niger
H.E. Moctar Ouane, Prime Minister of Transition of the Republic of Mali
H.E. Aurélien Agbenonci, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of
Benin.
The session was also attended by H.E. Jean-Claude Kassi Brou,
President of the ECOWAS Commission.
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