Meet six politicians of Nigerian descent elected to UK Parliament

It was a historic moment in the United Kingdom as the Labour Party had its general election to elect a new prime minister and members of Parliament to the House of Commons and the lower house of the Parliament.

In a landslide, the opposition party led by Keir Starmer unseated the Conservative Party, led by Rishi Sunak of the Conservative Party, which had dominated British politics for fourteen years.

Six British politicians of Nigerian descent who contested for seats in the parliament won their elections, with some newly elected and the rest defending their seats for another tenure.

Read also: What Starmer’s election as UK prime minister could mean for Nigeria, Africa

Out of these six, five of them belong to the Labour Party and, one, the Conservative Party.

The elected MPs will serve their constituencies in the House of Commons for up to five years. Their journey begins on July 17th, 2024, with the State Opening of Parliament. During this ceremony, the King will deliver a speech outlining the government’s agenda for the upcoming session.

These are the elected politicians of Nigerian descent below:

Kate Osamor

Kate is a British Labour politician who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Edmonton from 2015 until the seat’s abolition in 2024.

She was Shadow Secretary of State for International Development from 2016 to 2018. She is a member of the Socialist Campaign Group parliamentary caucus.

Chi Onwurah

Chi was born to a Nigerian father in 1965 in Wallsend and was taken back to Nigeria to live in Awka with her family when she was a baby. Two years later after the Biafran war broke out, she returned to Newcastle. She grew up on Hillsview Avenue in Kenton and attended Kenton School before studying electrical engineering in London.

Chi was re-elected as the Labour MP for Newcastle Central and West, with 11,060 votes out of 18,875.

In her speech upon being elected, she emphasised unity and collaboration, pledging to represent all constituents regardless of their voting choices, saying “I want to reach out my hand, and the hand of the Labour Party to all the people of Newcastle, no matter how you voted today.

Our future as a community, as a nation, will be so much brighter together, in a spirit of consideration for each other. My promise to you is to listen to you, to stand up for you, for our community, our values, and our future. Now is the time to come together for a better Newcastle. Our future is waiting for us. We can build it together.”

Bayo Alaba

Bayo is a Labour councillor with roots in the Forest Gate area of London and Nigeria. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in manufacturing and business from Coventry University in 1995 and later studied social politics at the London School of Economics in 2011.

A former parachute regiment soldier, school governor, and entrepreneur, Bayo became the first Labour MP for Southend East and Rochford. He expressed his gratitude to voters and volunteers, highlighting the collaborative effort behind his success.

In a speech after his victory on X, he expressed appreciation to the voters for his election success.

“It’s been a whirlwind 48 hours, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t exhausted.

“But what I want to say first and most is a massive thank you to every single one of the 15,395 voters who backed me to be Southend East & Rochford’s first ever Labour MP. I will never forget.”

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Kemi Badenoch

Kemi is a British politician who served as Secretary of State for Business and Trade from 2023 to 2024, President of the Board of Trade and Minister for Women and Equalities from 2022 to 2024.

The Conservative Party MP for North West Essex (formally Saffron Walden) retained her seat with 19,360 votes. She commended her campaign team and vowed to represent the best interests of all constituents, continuing her role as a scrutinising legislator.

“It is an honour and a privilege to have been re-elected to be your Member of Parliament and I am grateful that you have put your trust in me to represent you once again.

“To all those who supported my campaign, thank you. I couldn’t have done,” Badenoch said.

Taiwo Owatemi

Born in 1992, Taiwo has been a Labour Party Member of Parliament for Coventry North West since 2019 and served as the Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities from September 2021 to September 2022.

Defending her Coventry North West seat with a landslide victory (with 19,696 votes), Taiwo expressed deep gratitude to voters, “Words cannot express my gratitude to the people of Coventry North West. Your trust in me, in our shared vision, for a brighter future, is truly humbling.”

A pharmacist by profession, she pledged to continue her tireless work amplifying the voices of her constituents.

Words cannot express my gratitude to the people of Coventry North West. Your trust in me, in our shared vision, for a brighter future, is truly humbling.

It is the honour of my life to represent you and I will continue to work tirelessly to ensure your voices are represented.

Florence Dauta Eshalomi

Florence graduated with a BA Hons in Political and International Studies with Law from Middlesex University and started her working life as a 16-year-old at Sainsbury’s supermarket.

She has worked in a variety of campaigning and public affairs roles including in local government as a policy officer, and as a regional organiser for the Labour Party during the 2005 general election.

A Member of the Labour and Co-operative parties, Florence was a Member of the London Assembly (AM) for Lambeth and Southwark from 2016 to 2021. Transitioning from the abolished Vauxhall seat, Florence secured victory in the newly created Vauxhall and Camberwell Green constituency

She praised voters for their trust and enthusiasm for working together.

“Thank you to residents across Vauxhall and Camberwell Green for putting your trust in me. I am honoured to be re-elected for the new constituency and I look forward to working alongside all of you,” Florence said.

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