AYV News, July 21, 2026
A public exchange has emerged over whether President Dr. Julius Maada Bio sought a second term as Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), following the conclusion of the regional bloc’s Mid-Year Summit in Lungi.
Speaking during a discussion on AYV Wake Up Sierra Leone, media and political analyst Thomas Dixon claimed that Sierra Leone’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Musa Timothy Kabba, had previously indicated that President Bio was interested in serving another term as ECOWAS Chairman.
According to Dixon, the Foreign Affairs Minister’s earlier remarks suggested that the President was seeking re-election to continue leading the regional organisation. Dixon argued that the outcome of the summit, which saw a new ECOWAS Chair emerge, indicated that President Bio did not secure a second term.
“The Foreign Minister had earlier stated that President Bio was interested in a second term as ECOWAS Chairman,” Dixon said, adding that the development suggested the President was disappointed after not being re-elected.
However, the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) has strongly rejected that assertion.
Responding to Dixon’s comments, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Moses Mambu, dismissed claims that President Bio was seeking another term as ECOWAS Chairman.
Mambu maintained that the President did not contest for a second term and rejected suggestions that he was disappointed by the outcome of the summit.
He argued that the narrative being advanced by critics was inaccurate and did not reflect the President’s position regarding the ECOWAS leadership transition.
The differing accounts have sparked political debate following the ECOWAS Mid-Year Summit, which was hosted in Sierra Leone and attended by Heads of State and Government from across West Africa.
President Bio, who served as ECOWAS Chairman during a period marked by regional security challenges, democratic transitions, and economic cooperation initiatives, officially handed over the leadership of the regional bloc at the conclusion of the summit.
The exchange between Dixon and Mambu has added to post-summit political discussions, with both sides offering contrasting interpretations of the President’s intentions ahead of the leadership transition.
