A Nigerian civil society organisation, Make A Difference Initiative (MADI), has accused the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr Omar Alieu Touray, of abuse of office and actions that could strain diplomatic relations between Nigeria and The Gambia.

In a statement issued in Abuja, MADI claimed that Dr Touray unlawfully revoked powers delegated to Nigerian ECOWAS Commissioner for Internal Services, Professor Nazifi Abdullahi Darma, accusing him of insubordination without following due process.

The organisation said the decision violated Articles 18 and 19 of the ECOWAS Supplementary Protocol, which state that only the ECOWAS Council of Ministers has the authority to discipline Commissioners.

Professor Darma has since taken the matter to the ECOWAS Court of Justice.

MADI also alleged that Dr Touray attempted to assign Commissioner-level responsibilities to a Gambian national, one of his personal appointees — a move it says would give The Gambia two Commissioner positions and breach the principle of equitable regional representation.

The group warned that such actions risk portraying The Gambia as benefiting from institutional favouritism and could damage its strong diplomatic relations with Nigeria, which contributes nearly 90 percent of ECOWAS’s financial and logistical resources.

MADI further raised concerns about an “increasing concentration of power” within the ECOWAS Commission, noting that both the President and the Director of Cabinet, Abdou Kolley — one of the most influential roles in the Commission — are Gambian nationals.

It said this, combined with recent political tension in the region and the withdrawal of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger from ECOWAS, could threaten the stability and credibility of the West African bloc.

The group called on the Gambian government to intervene, saying: “It may be necessary to rein in or, if required, recall Touray to protect its reputation, preserve bilateral goodwill and uphold the integrity of ECOWAS.”

MADI listed six demands, including the immediate reversal of the memo issued to Commissioner Darma, restoration of his delegated powers, non-interference in court proceedings, and a full review of governance practices within the ECOWAS Commission.

“ECOWAS cannot demand constitutional order from member states while violating constitutional order within its own leadership structure,” the group warned.

The Authority newspaper reports that the issue is expected to feature prominently at upcoming ECOWAS ministerial meetings in Abuja in December.

Dr Touray has not yet responded to the allegations.