Buhari cautions West African leaders to stop elongating their tenure in office

President Muhammadu Buhari has cautioned West African leaders against elongating their tenure in office, stressing that the development was becoming a source of trouble.

Buhari stated this in Niamey, Niger Republic on Monday, at the 57th Ordinary Session of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

In a post on his Twitter handle, @GarShehu, the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the President, Garba Shehu quoted Buhari to have said:

“As leaders of our individual Member-States of ECOWAS, we need to adhere to the constitutional provisions of our countries, particularly on term limits. This is one area that generates crisis and political tension in our sub-region.”

“Related to this call for restraint is the need to guarantee free, fair and credible elections. This must be the bedrock for democracy to be sustained in our sub-region, just as the need for adherence to the rule of law.”

Shehu had in a statement on Sunday said that Buhari would present a report on the COVID-19 pandemic in the region to the summit.

He also said that the summit would also receive a special report on the ECOWAS single currency programme to be presented by the President of Sierra Leone, Julius Bio, and Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the West African Monetary Zone, Alassane Ouattara.