The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, has congratulated the Speaker of the Tanzanian Parliament, Hon. Tulia Ackson, on her emergence as the newly elected President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) at the 147th IPU General Assembly (Monday, 23 October – Friday, 27 October) in Luanda, Angola.
Hon. Ackson was on Friday elected as the president of the IPU, also becoming the 31st president of the International Organization of National Parliaments. She beat three other candidates on the ballot: Ms Adji Diarra Mergane Kanouté of Senegal, Ms Catherine Gotani Hara of Malawi and Ms Marwa Abdibashir Hagi of Somalia, all women members of parliament from Africa.
Hon. Ackson, who is the first African woman to hold the position, takes over from Duarte Pacheco from Portugal, who was elected in 2020.
The deputy speaker in a congratulatory message by his Special Assistant on Press Affairs, Udora Orizu, expressed optimism that Ackson’s leadership will bring about positive changes and foster unity and cooperation among parliamentary nations.
Elated at Ackson’s win, he recalled his pledge to her in July, during a courtesy visit to his office at the National Assembly in Abuja; the East Africa Legislative Assembly’s visit was led by Hon. Joseph Ntakirutimana.
While congratulating other candidates, who contested the position, Kalu urged them to support Ackson for the benefit of Africa, assuring them that Nigeria’s Parliament will work with her to address global challenges, promote peace, and advance the interests of all nations.
The deputy speaker also hailed the President of the Nigerian Senate and leader of Nigeria’s delegation to the 147th IPU General Assembly, Senator Godswill Akpabio, on being elected into the Executive Committee of the global parliamentary body.
Hon. Kalu said he was delighted that Nigeria’s Senate president made it to the Executive Committee of the IPU, breaking a jinx of 59 years.
He noted that he had been at the fore front of this international politics since he observed that Nigeria had been shortchanged for 59 years.
This, he said, also led him to move a motion to stop the move of another Western African country after the same position.
“I congratulate the newly elected President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly, the Speaker of the Tanzanian Parliament, Rt. Hon. Tulia Ackson.
“This is a significant achievement, and I am confident that your leadership will bring about positive changes and foster unity and cooperation among parliamentary nations.
“As you lead the political head of the IPU, we look forward to working closely with you from Nigeria’s Parliament to address global challenges, promote peace, and advance the interests of our nations.
“I commend three other candidates for the position, all women parliamentarians from Africa, a historic first: Adji Kanoute (Senegal), Catherine Hara (Malawi) and Marwa Hagi (Somalia).
“I also congratulate my leader, the President of the Senate and Leader of Nigeria’s delegation to the 147th IPU General Assembly, Senator Godswill Akpabio, on being elected into the Executive Committee of the global parliamentary body.
“This is a joyful news, as the last time a Nigerian was elected into the Executive Committee of the Parliamentary Union was in 1964. It has been a week of international politicking and lobbying, and I am glad that finally Nigeria won; and the voice of Nigeria will be louder in defending democracy in Africa and the world.
“With this, our great country now has the opportunity to influence key decisions of the Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU) as well as present a case for better representation of the West African community and Africa at large,” said the deputy speaker.
