A young Nigerian man, Oye Owolewa, has been elected into the United States’ House of Representatives.
Owolewa also confirmed the news on his Facebook page.
Owolewa from Kwara State who holds a doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in Pharmacy from the North-Eastern University, Boston, contested on the platform of the Democratic Party as a ‘shadow’ (non-voting) House of Representative member out of the District of Columbia (DC).
He polled 164, 026 (81.56 percent) of the votes to beat his rivals Sohaer Rizvi Syed (15,372) and Joyce Robinson-Paul (18,600).
The 31-year-old politician is the first Nigerian congressman in the country’s history.
Sharing the news on his Facebook page, he wrote, “Good morning. Looks like we did it! I want to thank everyone, from family and close friends to DC residents. Because of your contributions and sacrifices, I stand before you as America’s first Nigerian-American congressman.
“In this role, I’m going to fight for DC statehood and bring our values to the lawmaking process. While today is a day for some celebration, the hard work also follows. Again, thanks so much for everything. I wouldn’t be here without you all.”
