President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone has emerged as the new Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, bringing an end to Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu’s two-term leadership of the regional bloc. The handover took place at the 67th Ordinary Session of the Authority, held in Abuja, Nigeria.
The announcement came as a surprise to some, following earlier speculations that Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye had been chosen during a closed-door meeting held before the official session began. However, consensus eventually settled on President Bio, who now takes up the leadership at a time of significant political, economic, and security challenges facing the West African region.
In his inaugural address, President Bio signaled his intention to steer ECOWAS toward restoring democratic governance in member states that have experienced coups, strengthening regional security cooperation, advancing economic integration, and rebuilding institutional trust across the bloc.
President Tinubu, who was first elected in Guinea-Bissau on July 9, 2023, and re-elected in Abuja the following year, stepped down after a tenure marked by strong calls for democratic stability and the establishment of a regional standby force. In his final remarks, Tinubu reiterated the urgency of operationalising the ECOWAS Standby Force and urged West African leaders to stay resolute in defending constitutional order and regional unity.
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