A Nigerian poet based in the United Kingdom, Ndukwe Onuoha of the Labour Party, has been elected a councillor in his ward.
Onuoha was elected to represent the Mackworth and New Zealand ward in Derby City Council.
The Derby council announced the poet’s victory via a tweet on Friday.
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According to the Derby council, Onuoha polled 1,168 votes to become councillor.
The council tweeted, “MACKWORTH & NEW ZEALAND RESULTS Ndukwe Onuoha (Labour), Gaurav Pandey (Conservatives), John Whitby (Labour) have been elected. Labour GAIN,”
“MACKWORTH & NEW ZEALAND RESULTS 🗳️ Ndukwe Onuoha (Labour), Gaurav Pandey (Conservatives), John Whitby (Labour) have been elected. Labour GAIN.#LocalElection2023 — Derby City Council (@DerbyCC) May 5, 2023.”
Nwando Umeh, another Nigerian and a Labour Party candidate, contested as one of the representatives of the Mackworth and New Zealand ward, but lost after she polled 1,084 votes, the council said.
Recall that the law provides that a British or a citizen of the commonwealth – to which Nigeria belongs, having been colonised by the British – is eligible to contest for a councillor position in the UK.
The UK-based poet was nominated by his party in November 2022, was the only candidate of African descent to have emerged winner.
