By SALIF ATOJOKO

President Bola Tinubu has been re-elected as the Chairman of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government.

The Presidents mandate was extended at the 65th Ordinary Session of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government, on Sunday in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that this followed the decision of the leaders to ensure continuity and consistency in meeting targets on security, reconciliation, and development.

President Tinubu was first elected to the position in Guinea-Bissau on July 9, 2023.

In his acceptance speech, the President said he would focus on consolidating the values of democracy and upholding the interest of the regional body, which would clock 50 years in 2025.

The Chairman of ECOWAS appointed the President of Senegal, Mr Bassirou Diomaye Faye, and the President of Togo, His Excellency, Mr Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé, as Special Envoys to Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger Republic.

I have appointed the President of Senegal, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, to please become our Special Envoy to Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger Republic, along with the President of Togo, Faure Gnassingbé, to do around the clock work with our brothers in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger Republic, and to coordinate with me and the ECOWAS Commission, where necessary.

I have accepted to continue the service to the great members and the great minds that are committed to democratic values and our journey in the region.

I will continue to serve our interest and build on democratic values and the structure that we inherited. Thank you very much, the President said.

Tinubu had earlier called on Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS to work towards the establishment and sustenance of a regional standby force for the security and economic advancement of the community.

The President emphasised the expediency of a standby force in the face of growing security threats in the region. (NAN)