Tight security as Tinubu set to inaugurate 6th legislature of ECOWAS Parliament
Parliamentarians will select the Speaker of the 6th ECOWAS Parliament before the start of the plenary.
President Bola Tinubu will be inaugurating the legislature of the 6th ECOWAS Parliament in Abuja on Thursday April 4, 2024. [Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and ECOWAS Parliament/Facebook]
Recommended articles
![33 passengers and one crew member died on the dive boat, Conception [Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times/AP]](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf8,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D'http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg'%20width%3D'100'%20height%3D'100'%20data-ring-placeholder%3D'1'%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E "33 passengers and one crew member died on the dive boat, Conception [Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times/AP]")
Present at the ECOWAS Parliament premises, Pulse observed streams of security personnel stationed across routes leading to the venue.
The first meeting of the Parliament signifies the beginning of the 6th legislative term, as outlined in Article 28 of the Supplementary Act on the Enhancement of the Powers of the ECOWAS Parliament of 2016.
This session follows the conclusion of the Fifth Legislature of the ECOWAS Parliament on March 8, 2024.
ADVERTISEMENT
One of the notable highlights of the inaugural session would be the induction of representatives elected to the ECOWAS Parliament by their respective national assemblies or equivalent bodies in each member state.
These new Members pledge their dedication to serving the interests of the people in the sub-region before the Chairman.
ECOWAS Parliament to elect new Speaker
During this session, Members will also choose the Speaker of the Sixth Legislature, who will serve a four-year term, following the guidelines outlined in the Supplementary Act 2016.
According to Article 24 of the Supplementary Act, which focuses on enhancing the powers of the Parliament, the Authority allocates the position of Speaker to Member States.
ADVERTISEMENT
This allocation follows a rotational system based on the alphabetical order of Member States.
Formation of ECOWAS Parliament
The ECOWAS Parliament, serving as the voice of the West African Community States, comprises 115 seats.
Each Member State is guaranteed at least five seats, with the remainder distributed based on population size.
As a result, Nigeria holds 35 seats, Ghana 8, Côte d’Ivoire 7, and Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali, Niger, and Senegal have 6 each.
ADVERTISEMENT
The remaining Member States - Benin, Cabo Verde, The Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Togo - are allocated 5 seats each.
JOIN OUR PULSE COMMUNITY!
ADVERTISEMENT
Eyewitness? Submit your stories now via social or:
Email: eyewitness@pulse.ng
Recommended articles
Blackout hits Tanzania as Cyclone Hidaya makes landfall, Kenya braces itself
Popular footballer arrested over robbery that left 1 dead as police dismantle gang
When fire started on a boat, the captain was first to escape — 34 passengers died
Some Nigerians in public, private organisations using fake certificates - FG
UniAbuja says academic, administrative activities ongoing despite ASUU strike
Nigerian journalist creates AI solutions for businesses
Group mobilises special prayers for late President Yar’adua
Anambra ranks 2nd lowest in Nigeria’s malaria prevalence – Lagos has lowest
Catholic secondary school showcases 30 students who scored above 300 in UTME
ADVERTISEMENT
![Vice-President Kashim Shettima [X:@officialSKSM]](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf8,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D'http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg'%20width%3D'300'%20height%3D'172'%20data-ring-placeholder%3D'1'%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E "Vice-President Kashim Shettima [X:@officialSKSM]")