Nigeria, Feb. 25 -- Eight years ago, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) helped end over two decades of dictatorship in The Gambia, setting the stage for the country's transition to democracy. Today, ECOWAS' active support remains critical to stability in The Gambia.

In December 2016, then-president Yahya Jammeh's refusal to accept electoral defeat led to mediation and the threat of military intervention by ECOWAS. With support from the African Union (AU) and United Nations (UN), these efforts saw Mr Jammeh's departure and the inauguration of President Adama Barrow in January 2017.

At the core of the country's transition and stabilisation is revising the 1997 constitution to enable important institutional reforms that...