Dr Tulia Ackson Withdraws from Speaker Race in 13th Parliament

Dodoma. Former Speaker of the National Assembly of the United Republic of Tanzania, Dr Tulia Ackson, has withdrawn from the race to retain her position in the 13th parliament.

Dr Tulia had previously collected nomination forms and was endorsed by the selection committees of the ruling party, Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), to defend her position. However, she has now announced her decision to withdraw from the contest.

CCM had initially endorsed three candidates — Dr Tulia Ackson, former Deputy Speaker of Parliament Mussa Zungu, and former Shinyanga Urban MP Stephen Masele.

Dr Tulia’s withdrawal, who is also the elected MP for Uyole, means that Zungu and Masele remain the only contenders for the position to lead the legislative arm of government.

Tulia became Speaker of the National Assembly in February 2022, following the resignation of Job Ndugai after his fallout with the government.

She was the second woman in Tanzania to hold the Speaker role after Anna Makinda.

In October 2023, she was elected President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) for a 3-year term, marking a significant achievement in her political career.

The race for the Speaker position in Tanzania’s 13th parliament now continues with two candidates vying for the influential role.