The Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) along with various civil society organisations (CSOs) within the West Africa Democracy Network (WADEMOS) have called upon the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to implement presidential term limits.
This appeal was made during a roundtable in Abuja, organized by WADEMOS and the International Citizens Movement Tournons La Page (TLP), on the eve of the ECOWAS Summit of Heads of State and Government.
Paul Osei-Kuffour, Network Coordinator, highlighted a study revealing that a majority of citizens across 34 African nations support a two-term cap on presidential mandates. He noted that attempts to extend terms in West Africa have often succeeded, resulting in election victories for incumbents, particularly in Francophone countries.
The gathering aimed to rally support from pro-democracy advocates and to raise awareness about the dangers of third-term agendas. The group seeks to influence ECOWAS to adopt measures within its protocol on democracy and good governance to prevent such scenarios.
Kojo Asante, Director of Programmes and Policy Engagement at CDD-Ghana and WADEMOS, emphasized the need for a collective response to the democratic backsliding witnessed over the past decade, marked by unconstitutional coups and attempts at term extension, which have sparked violence and military takeovers.
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Marie Josiane-Ngah, WADEMOS Project Coordinator for Francophone regions, stressed the importance of continued collaboration among CSOs and influencers to combat the institutionalization of term limits. The meeting in Nigeria serves as a platform to amplify their collective voice to ECOWAS.
Prof David Dosseh, Coordinator of Front Togo Debout, called for courage in defending the region’s democracy, acknowledging its imperfections but recognizing its value over other regimes. Ken Ukahoa, President of the National Trade Association in Nigeria (NANTS), expressed concern over the lack of checks and balances in the election of parliamentarians, which often leads to manipulation by heads of state, undermining the democratic process.