Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State and former presidential spokesperson, Doyin Okupe have congratulated President Bola Tinubu on his re-election as Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States.
Abiodun, in a congratulatory message to the President on Sunday, said that Tinubu’s re-election by his colleagues was an attestation to the leadership qualities of the Nigerian President.
He added that it also reflected the unwavering trust and confidence reposed in Tinubu’s leadership by ECOWAS.
According to him, since his first election, Tinubu has laid a solid framework for the future integration of the sub-region and promoting security.
Abiodun praised the President for showing statesmanship in the way he handled military coups in three member states, noting that this averted what could have been a serious crisis in the region.
Governor Abiodun wrote, “Under Tinubu’s guidance, ECOWAS has made remarkable strides in fostering economic integration, promoting regional peace and security, and enhancing cooperation among member-states.
“His dedication to advancing the interests of the West African region has been evident throughout his first tenure, and we are confident that his reappointment will further accelerate the progress achieved thus far.
“Tinubu’s visionary leadership and strategic approach have been instrumental in addressing the challenges facing the region, including the threat to democracy, occasioned by coups in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso.
“His commitment to dialogue averted what could have amounted to war, which would have had dire consequences for the entire region.”
Okupe, in a congratulatory message on Monday said: “I congratulate President Bola Tinubu on his re-election as the leader of ECOWAS.
“It is difficult for me to understand why it is the destiny of President Tinubu to come into position of leadership, both at national and regional levels, at periods of hardship and difficulty.
“But I pray for divine guidance and wisdom to navigate these turbulent waters.”
According to him, in this new tenure, Tinubu’s main agenda should be to bring back the leadership of the Sahel Nations of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger to the ECOWAS.
He said that the first step would be to reconcile with Nigeria’s immediate neighbours, the Republic of Niger.
Okupe advised Tinubu to lean on the support of former President Muhammadu Buhari and other influential Northern leaders with strong ties with Republic of Niger.
“The Africa Union as a body can be made to officially spearhead this reconcilatory agenda while a diplomatic outreach to Russia for this purpose, especially if handled at the level of the AU, will certainly be helpful,” he noted.