By Anayo Akwitti
Speaker of Australia’s House of Representatives, Milton Dick, has been elected President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly for the 2026–2029 term.
Dick emerged winner of the election announced by the outgoing IPU President, Dr Tulia Ackson, in Arusha on Friday, securing 182 votes, representing 56 per cent of the total votes cast.
The other candidates, Ms Sahiba Gafarova, Speaker of Azerbaijan’s Milli Majlis, and Mr Rojo Silva, a senator from Chile, received 124 votes and 21 votes respectively.
Announcing the result, Ackson declared Dick the winner of the election for the three-year tenure.
“The winner of the election of a President for the term 2026 to 2029 is Mr Milton Dick, the Speaker of the House of Representatives of Australia,” she said.
Dick’s election followed his visit to Abuja last week, where he consulted with Nigeria’s National Assembly leadership and sought support for his candidacy.
President of the Nigerian Senate, Godswill Akpabio, who is also an executive member of the IPU, had assured Dick of Nigeria’s support and pledged to mobilise backing from the IPU Africa Group.
Before the election, Dick called for inclusive leadership within the international parliamentary organisation, stressing the need to consider the interests of countries and parliaments with limited influence in global discussions.
His election places him at the helm of the IPU Assembly for the 2026–2029 period, during which he is expected to lead the organisation’s parliamentary engagements and promote cooperation among member parliaments worldwide.
