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West African leaders converged on Accra yesterday for the 47th Ordinary Session of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government, with a key member, Goodluck Jonathan, making an emotional last appearance at the sub-regional meeting as the President of Nigeria.

President Jonathan lost the April Presidential election in Nigeria to Gen. Muhammadu Buhari. 

Jonathan, a key member of the sub-regional group, received a big round of applause from his colleagues and other people at the opening ceremony of the summit as ECOWAS Chairman, President John Dramani Mahama, lauded him for his maturity in readily conceding defeat and calling the winner to congratulate him.

Other Heads of State who attended the summit included Thomas Boni Yayi of Benin, Faure Gnassingbe of Togo, Allasane Outtara of La Côte d’Ivoire, Alpha Conde of Guinea, Mammadou Issifou of Niger, Gambia’s Yahya Jammeh, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia and Sierra Leone’s Ernest Bai Koroma.

The Presidents who could not attend in person sent representatives.

Also in attendance was the United Nations Secretary General's Special Representative for West Africa, Dr Mohammed Ibn Chambas, and the ECOWAS Commission President, Kadre Desire Ouadraogo.

Discussions

The one-day meeting discussed various reports including the 2015 interim report of the ECOWAS Commission, the report of the 74th Ordinary Session of ECOWAS council of ministers, and report of the 34th meeting of the mediation and security council.

President Mahama, who opened the session, mentioned the strides the sub-regional group had made over the years and praised all who had played a role in the success story.