President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is set to conclude his second term as Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), as the regional bloc prepares to elect a new leader during its summit this weekend.

Tinubu was first elected ECOWAS Chairman on July 9, 2023, in Guinea Bissau, and re-elected for a second term on July 7, 2024, in Abuja. His two-year tenure comes to a close at the ongoing ECOWAS Summit, which is taking place at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

The upcoming leadership transition was subtly confirmed by Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, during the closing session of the 94th Ordinary Meeting of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers on Friday night.

 “As the agenda of the Summit we endorsed indicated the election of a new Chair of Authority, this may be my last Council Session as the Chair of this Council,” Tuggar announced.

He thanked his counterparts across the sub-region for their support over the past two years, describing his tenure as marked by “cordial working relationships and significant collective achievements.”

 “I remain very grateful for your unalloyed support for the successes we recorded thus far. I hope the same cooperation will be extended to whomever among us is taking over the leadership of this Council,” Tuggar added.

President Tinubu’s tenure as ECOWAS Chair coincided with some of the bloc’s most challenging moments, including the military coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, as well as the evolving threat of terrorism, economic hardship, and political instability in the region.

As the Summit proceeds, all eyes are now on the regional leaders to see who will be selected as Tinubu’s successor, a decision that could shape ECOWAS’ direction in a period of significant transformation and security recalibration.