ECOWAS Parliament Moves to Curb Verbal Attacks on Regional Leaders

The ECOWAS Parliament has officially adopted updated Rules of Procedure, which now prohibit members from making disparaging remarks about fellow members and the West African Heads of State.

This significant development occurred during the Parliament’s First Ordinary Session in Abuja on Thursday.

MP Billay Tunkara, the Fourth Deputy Speaker and Chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee, presented the document, explaining that the revisions aim to bolster transparency, accountability, and effective governance within the parliamentary framework.

Under the revised rules, members who miss one-third of an ordinary session without valid justification will face sanctions, including the suspension of their sitting allowances.

The amendments also ensure gender and language balance in committee appointments, formalize a dress code reflecting the Parliament’s dignity, and set a quorum of at least 50 members to commence a session.

To maintain impartiality, the Speaker of the Parliament can now only participate in debates after temporarily yielding the chair to the Deputy Speaker.

The document states that these revised rules are expected to “enhance attendance, discipline, and the overall quality of debate in the ECOWAS Parliament.”

Persecondnews reports that the First Ordinary Session of the regional parliament for 2025, which began on Tuesday, will conclude on May 31.

This session also initiates a series of activities planned to commemorate the Parliament’s 25th anniversary in November, with events designed to promote regional integration and cooperation among ECOWAS member states.