Former President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated President Bola Tinubu on his election as the chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Tinubu was elected on Sunday at the 63rd ordinary session of the ECOWAS heads of state and government in Bissau, the capital of Guinea-Bissau.
The Nigerian president succeeded President Umaro Embalo of Guinea Bissau, who became chairman of ECOWAS on July 4, 2022.
Buhari, in a statement issued on Monday by Garba Shehu, his spokesperson, prayed that Tinubu’s term in office will bring restoration to the regional economic body.
The former president called on Nigerians to support Tinubu as he takes up the mantle of leadership in ECOWAS.
“West Africans have entrusted our new leader with an enormous responsibility, and it will be our task as citizens to support him to not let them down,” he said.
“I pray the Almighty will make his tenure as Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government see to the restoration of ECOWAS as the bastion of democracy, good governance and a leader in fighting terrorism and climate change on the continent.”
During his tenure as the president of Nigeria, Buhari manned the affairs of ECOWAS as chairman from July 31, 2018 to June 29 2019.