The ECOWAS Council of Ministers has unanimously endorsed President John Dramani Mahama as the sole West African candidate for the rotating Chairperson of the African Union (AU) when the position falls due for the region in 2027.
The decision was taken at the ongoing meeting of the Council of Ministers in Abuja, Nigeria.
Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, announced the endorsement in a Facebook post on Friday, stating that the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government is expected to formally adopt the declaration at its summit on Sunday.
“Ghana is exceedingly grateful to ECOWAS for the confidence and support for our beloved visionary and Pan-African President, H.E. John Dramani Mahama,” Mr Ablakwa wrote.
The AU Chairperson position rotates annually among Africa’s five geographic regions. West Africa’s turn is scheduled for 2027, following the current cycle.
The rotating AU Chairperson (a serving Head of State) is distinct from the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), the AU’s chief executive officer and administrative head, who is elected for a four-year term through a competitive continental process.
The AUC Chairperson is elected by the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government through secret ballot and requires a two-thirds majority. Candidates undergo pre-screening by a Panel of Eminent Africans, regional nomination, and, in recent years, public televised debates.
President Mahama, who returned to office in January 2025 after winning the December 2024 presidential election, has long been regarded as one of West Africa’s leading voices on pan-Africanism and regional integration.
The expected formal adoption by ECOWAS Heads of State on Sunday will clear the way for President Mahama to become the region’s official candidate when the AU elects its 2027 Chairperson.