The Speaker of the Parliament of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS Parliament, Senator Ike Ekweremadu has congratulated the winner in the Mali presidential election, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita.
Reacting to the official result of the run-off presidential election released earlier on Thursday, which showed that the former Prime Minister of Mali had won his rival, Soumaila Cisse, Senator Ike Ekweremadu also hailed the people of Mali and the ECOWAS for keeping democracy on track in the West African nation.
He said: “The eventual triumph of democracy and stability over separatism, military brigandage, and insurgence, in Mali is indeed a milestone for good governance, peace, and security for the entire West Africa.
“It is the hope of the ECOWAS Parliament that the president-elect will give the people of Mali a fatherly, transparent, and deeply democratic leadership that will give every segment of the society a sense of belonging irrespective of ethno-political leanings, restore total stability, strengthen democracy institutions, and put the nation on the path of fast recovery and lasting development.”
The Speaker who is also the Deputy President of the Nigerian Senate also commended Cisse for his patriotism in conceding victory to Keita, noting that such sportsmanship was critical to post-election stability and democratic growth in Mali.
Senator Ekweremadu pledged the continued support of the Community Parliament towards total receovery and the consolidation of democratic gains in Mali.
