The National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) USA, has petitioned the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) over the alleged forgery of Chicago State University certificate by the Nigerian President, Bola Tinubu.
As a pro-democracy group dedicated to the preservation and promotion of democratic values in Nigeria and the sub-region, the group said that it was pertinent that it continued to push for the principles of justice, transparency, and integrity that are fundamental to the success of the esteemed regional body.
In a petition dated October 10, 2023 and addressed to the ECOWAS Secretariat, NADECO alleged the President Tinubu lacked the integrity and credibility to remain the Chairman of the subregional organisation.
The letter by the group’s Executive Secretary, Lloyd Ukwu urged ECOWAS to uphold the highest standards of integrity and credibility in its leadership, saying that this was paramount for the success of the organization and the region as a whole.
NADECO among other things called upon the member states of ECOWAS to initiate a serious and thorough investigation into the allegations surrounding their chairman.
“It is our strong belief that someone facing such serious allegations should not hold a position of such prominence within our regional organization.
“Therefore, NADECO USA makes the following threefold request on behalf of concerned citizens and stakeholders in the West African region:
“Member states of ECOWAS should call for the immediate resignation of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the face of these allegations. Such allegations, if proven true, seriously undermine the credibility and trustworthiness of our organization.
“In the event that President Tinubu refuses to resign voluntarily, we implore ECOWAS member states to conduct a vote of no confidence or a similar democratic process to determine whether he should continue as Chairman. This will uphold the democratic principles upon which our organization was founded.
“From both a moral and legal standpoint, President Tinubu has lost the moral authority and legal legitimacy to lead an institution as critical as ECOWAS. The credibility of ECOWAS is at stake, and it is our collective responsibility to ensure that its leadership remains untarnished and beyond reproach,” the group stated.
THE SUN
