Barau Jibrin, Deputy Senate President of Nigeria, has assumed the role of acting Speaker of the Sixth Legislature of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament.
His appointment came during the inaugural session of the assembly held in Abuja on Thursday.
Initially nominated as the 1st Deputy Speaker by Rep Awaji-Inombek D. Abiante and seconded by Senator Ireti Kingibe, Barau’s elevation aligns with the rotational system established by Decision A/DEC. 6/06/06 of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government.
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The Speakership for this legislative term had been allocated to the Republic of Togo, but due to their absence during the inauguration, a Speaker Pro-tempore, Edwin Melvin Snowe JR, a Liberian, was chosen.
Snowe JR, presiding over the inaugural session, oversaw the election of four deputy speakers, including Honourable Adjaratou Traore Coulibaly from Cote D’Ivoire, Honourable Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin from Ghana, and Honourable Billay G Tunkara from Gambia.
As the 1st Deputy Speaker, Barau Jibrin will serve as the acting Speaker until the Togolese delegation is inaugurated.
The ceremony, graced by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of Nigeria, also emphasized the importance of regional solidarity in bolstering ECOWAS’s resilience and effectiveness.
The Sixth Legislature of the ECOWAS Parliament saw the inauguration of lawmakers from various member states, including Nigeria, Benin Republic, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cote D’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Senegal, and Sierra Leone.
The ECOWAS Parliament, established under Articles 6 and 13 of the ECOWAS revised treaty of 1993, serves as a platform for dialogue, consultation, and consensus-building to promote integration among the people of West Africa.
Comprising 115 seats, it plays a crucial role in advancing the region’s socio-economic and political agendas.
