President of Nigerian Senate and head of delegation to the 148th Assembly of Inter-Parliamentry Union (IPU), Godswill Akpabio, IPU Secretary General, Martin Chungong and his vice, Cecilia Widegren were among the dignitaries hosted to Executive Committee dinner of IPU in Geneva, Switzerland by the IPU President, Hon. Dr. Tulia Ackson.
Recall that Akpabio arrived Geneva, Switzerland on Friday for the 148th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).
He was accompanied on the trip by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Benjamin Kalu and Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong.
The Senate President and his entourage were received on arrival at the airport in Geneva, by Nigeria’s Ambassador to Switzerland, Abiodun Richards Adejola accompanied by South African Ambassador to Switzerland, Mr. Mxolisi Nkosi.
Further recall that this year’s edition would take place from 23rd to 27th of March, 2024.
At the last edition of the IPU which held in Luanda, Angola, Nigeria broke a 59-year-old jinx when Akpabio was elected into the Executive Committee of the global parliamentary body. The last time Nigeria had the privilege to be in the Executive Committee of IPU was in 1964.
The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), global organization of national parliaments, was founded in 1889, and dedicated to promoting peace through parliamentary diplomacy and dialogue. It has grown into a truly global organization with 179-member countries out of 193 countries of the world.
Akpabio was also on 7th March, 2024, nominated by the African Parliamentary Union (APU) into the Preparatory Committee for the 6th World Conference of Speakers of Parliament of the IPU.
The IPU facilitated parliamentary diplomacy and empowers parliaments and parliamentarian to promote peace, democracy and sustainable development around the world.
