By Kayode Araba.
Thus, Deputy President of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Barau I. Jibrin, has emerged as the acting Speaker of the Sixth Legislature of the Parliament of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Senator Barau, who is the leader of the Nigerian delegation to the ECOWAS Parliament, emerged during the inaugural session of the assembly held in Abuja on Thursday.
Additionally, in accordance with the rotational system established by Decision A/DEC. 6/06/06 of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, the Speakership of the Sixth Legislature of the sub-regional body has been zoned to the Republic of Togo.
However, during the inauguration of the Sixth Legislature of the ECOWAS, the delegation of the Republic of Togo was not present; hence, a Speaker Pro-tempore, Edwin Melvin Snowe JR, a Liberian, was elected.
Snowe JR presided over the inaugural session of the Parliament, including the election of the four deputy speakers. He said in order not to create a vacuum, Senator Barau, as the 1st Deputy Speaker, will act as the Speaker of the Parliament pending when the Togolese delegation is inaugurated.
The opening ceremony was attended by President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Chairman of ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
