History was on Friday made in far away oil rich country of Angola, when the President of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and leader of Nigeria’s delegation to the 147th Inter-Parliamentary Union General Assembly in Luanda, Angola, broke a 59-year old jinx, by being elected into the Executive Committee of the global parliamentary body.
Also, Dr. Tulia Ackson of the United Republic of Tanzania was elected as the 31st President of the IPU by the IPU council, the main decision-making body, which is made up of parliamentarians from around the world.
Dr. Ackson takes over from Mr. Duarte Pacheco, a parliamentarian from Portugal, who concluded his three-year mandate at the end of the 147th IPU Assembly in Luanda, Angola.
The last time a Nigerian was elected into the Executive Committee of the Parliamentary Union was in 1964.
The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) is the global organization of national parliaments founded in 1889, and dedicated to promoting peace through parliamentary diplomacy and dialogue.
It has grown over its 135 years into a truly global organization with 179 country members out of 193 countries in the world.
The IPU facilitates parliamentary diplomacy and empowers parliaments and parliamentarians to promote peace, democracy and sustainable development around the world.
A statement by the Special Assistant (Media/Communication) to the Senate President, Anietie Ekong, said Senator Akpabio, was overwhelmingly voted for by delegates across the world to emerge as an Executive Committee member of the Parliamentary Union with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, for a three-year mandate
The 147th IPU Assembly was held in Luanda, Angola, from 21st to 27th October 2023 and hosted by the National Assembly of Angola.
The Union in the week long Assembly deliberated upon important issues affecting nations across the world and considered actions to strengthen trust between people and governance structures, to make public institutions more effective, accountable and representative and to better equip parliaments to address the multiple interconnected geo-political, economic and environmental crises facing the world.
L-R Newly elected President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, Dr. Tulia Ackson, Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio and Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong at the IPU Assembly in Luanda, Angola, on Friday.
