Buhari To Receive ECOWAS Award Despite Controversy On Presidential Election

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is set to confer the Democracy Icon Award on President Muhammadu Buhari.

Presidential Spokesman, Garba Shehu, made this known in a statement released on Wednesday titled ‘ECOWAS to confer democracy icon award on President Buhari.’

Shehu said the Chairman of the regional bloc and President of Guinea Bissau, Umaro Embalo, will confer the award on the Nigerian leader.

The presidential spokesman added that Buhari will have his name on the roll of honor in the ECOWAS’ new headquarters building upon its completion in Abuja.

Shehu said Embalo revealed this at a bilateral meeting with Buhari on the sidelines of the ongoing United Nations Conference on Least Developed Countries in Doha, Qatar.

Embalo noted that the award recognizes Buhari’s achievements in the defence and promotion of democracy as a system of government throughout the sub-region.

The ECOWAS Chairman said Buhari had done more than any other to support democratic governments in West Africa, just as he had done in waging battles against the emergence of non-democratic regimes.

“For this, said the ECOWAS Chairman, President Buhari will have his name on the Roll of Honor in the community’s new headquarters building upon its completion in Abuja so that future generations of West African citizens will know about the greatness he achieved and copy his laudable examples,” the statement read in part.

In response, the President welcomed the proposition, stressing that democracy is a dependable vehicle for achieving national development because it unites diverse people and cultures.