ECOWAS has endorsed Ghanaian president John Dramani Mahama as West Africa’s official nominee for the African Union chairmanship in 2027, giving the bloc a unified candidate ahead of the regional rotation.
The decision was adopted unanimously by the ECOWAS Council of Ministers at a meeting in Abuja, officials said late Friday. Ministers agreed that Mahama, who led Ghana from 2012 to 2017, would be put forward when the AU’s rotating leadership returns to West Africa in two years.
The AU chairmanship rotates annually among Africa’s five regions. The current AU chair, Angola’s President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, took office in February 2025 on behalf of Southern Africa for a one-year term.
In backing Mahama, ministers cited his international profile, his mediation experience and Ghana’s longstanding role as one of ECOWAS’s most active and influential member states. They added that presenting a single regional candidate would strengthen ECOWAS’s chances of securing senior positions in continental and multilateral institutions.
The Council’s recommendation will be submitted to the Authority of Heads of State and Government, ECOWAS’s highest decision-making body, which meets on Sunday and is expected to formalise the endorsement.
Background
Mahama, 66, has remained a prominent regional figure since leaving office, frequently participating in election observation missions and diplomatic engagements. He previously served as ECOWAS’s lead mediator in The Gambia’s 2016–17 post-election crisis, when regional pressure led longtime ruler Yahya Jammeh to relinquish power.
Ghana has held the AU chair once since the organisation’s founding, when President Nana Akufo-Addo led the union in 2022. West Africa last occupied the chair in 2020 through South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa, after ECOWAS ceded its turn to maintain rotation balance during consecutive crises in the Sahel.
The AU chairmanship is largely ceremonial but carries strong political influence, giving the holder a central role in shaping the continental agenda, coordinating security and governance responses, and representing Africa globally.
ECOWAS’s endorsement comes amid internal challenges for the bloc, including the ongoing suspension of junta-led Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso. Analysts say a consensus candidate for the AU could help consolidate the bloc’s diplomatic weight as it confronts regional insecurity and shifting geopolitical rivalries.
If confirmed by AU leaders in early 2027, Mahama would assume office at a time when the union is pushing ahead with institutional reforms, including plans for a stronger peace-and-security architecture, a continental free-trade zone and greater financial autonomy.
Although largely ceremonial, the African Union chairmanship carries significant political weight and places the holder at the centre of continental diplomacy for a year. The AU chair is elected by heads of state and is tasked with steering the organisation’s priorities, coordinating responses to political and security crises, and representing Africa in major global forums.
The chair presides over AU summits, drives consensus among the 55 member states and works closely with the AU Commission — the Union’s executive arm — to advance flagship initiatives. These include the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the AU’s institutional reform agenda, regional peace operations and efforts to strengthen Africa’s collective voice on climate finance, global governance reform and development financing.
In recent years, the role has gained international prominence. Chairs such as Rwanda’s Paul Kagame, South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa and Senegal’s Macky Sall used their tenure to push for more African seats on global institutions, coordinate Africa’s pandemic response and lobby for debt-relief mechanisms. The chair is also expected to act as a mediator during political crises, often working alongside regional blocs such as ECOWAS, SADC or IGAD.
While the position does not grant executive authority over member states, the chair’s influence depends heavily on personal stature, diplomatic experience and the political weight of the country represented. Analysts say a strong chair can shape the continental agenda, amplify Africa’s global bargaining power and provide leadership during emergencies, whether related to conflict, public health or economic shocks.
The role of ECOWAS
For ECOWAS, securing the 2027 chairmanship is seen as strategically important as the region navigates military takeovers in the Sahel, strained relations with breakaway juntas and debates over the bloc’s future direction. A West African chair is also expected to guide ongoing AU reforms designed to strengthen the Union’s peace-and-security tools and increase member-state contributions to its budget.
