In a bold move to rein in absenteeism and restore decorum, the ECOWAS Parliament on Thursday adopted a sweeping overhaul of its internal rules, promising a new era of accountability and active engagement among its lawmakers.
Meeting in Abuja for the First Ordinary Session of 2025, members unanimously endorsed the revised Rules of Procedure—an ambitious framework crafted by an ad hoc committee led by Hon. Billay G. Tunkara, the Parliament’s Fourth Deputy Speaker.
At the heart of the reforms is a clear message to no-shows: miss a third of any session without a valid excuse, and your sitting allowance is on the line. Repeat offenders may face outright suspension—a rare but deliberate tool aimed at reviving parliamentary discipline.
But the shake-up goes deeper. For the first time, the rules now demand gender and language balance in committee assignments—a nod to inclusivity long overdue. A strict dress code will now be enforced, and lawmakers are explicitly barred from using derogatory language against fellow members or Heads of State.
A quorum of at least 50 members will be required to open any session, a move designed to curb sluggish starts and lacklustre turnouts. And in a procedural twist, the Speaker must now hand over the gavel to a Deputy Speaker before joining any debate—preserving the principle of impartiality in deliberations.
“These reforms aren’t just cosmetic,” a senior parliamentary aide said off-record. “They are about raising the bar on what the ECOWAS Parliament represents.”
With the region facing mounting political and security challenges, observers say the Parliament’s housecleaning could mark a turning point—if enforced.
As ECOWAS retools its legislative machinery, the question now is whether these new rules will be mere ink on paper—or a genuine shift toward credibility, engagement, and institutional strength.
