ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government gathered for the summit in Nigeria's capital city on Sunday, July 7, 2024, to elect a new chairman to lead the bloc for the next one year, among other key actions.

Arguably, the highlight of the meeting was the re-election of President Bola Tinubu, who was chosen to lead the Community for the second consecutive year.

Having been initially elected at the 63rd Ordinary Session in Bissau, Guinea-Bissau capital, in 2023, Tinubu's current tenure will elapse on July 9, 2024, after which his second stint at the helm will begin.

Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso are no-shows in Abuja

However, another interesting development at the meeting was the unoccupied seats reserved for the trio of Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso.

Leaders of the three countries were conspicuously missing following their decision to exit the bloc.

The three Saheel nations are currently on a warpath with ECOWAS, having announced their intention to discontinue their membership in January 2024.

A day before the ECOWAS gathering in Abuja, military leaders of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger had converged in the latter's capital, Niamey for the maiden summit of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).

AES is the new front formed by the three Sahel allies to advance economic and security relations following their exit from ECOWAS earlier this year.

The junta-led countries blamed the regional body for their decision, claiming that it had derailed from its core responsibilities.

Consequently, the seats reserved for the aggrieved members at the Abuja summit were pictured empty during the session on Sunday.