Meet four Nigerians who won in US, Australian polls

Nigerians in the diaspora are putting the country on the global map for the right reasons.

Four Nigerians, a US-born Nigerian, Dr. Oye Owolewa (District of Columbia); Chiaka Barry (Ginninderra District, Australia); Segun Adeyina (Georgia, USA) and Yemi Mobolade, (Colorado Springs, USA) won elections into various elective positions.

Owolewa was re-elected as the Shadow Representative for the District of Columbia under the Democratic Party. Chiaka Barry got elected into the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Legislative Assembly covering the Ginninderra District under the Liberal Party.

Segun Adeyina was re-elected as State Representative of District 110, Georgia, USA and Adeyemi Mobolade was elected as the Mayor of Colorado Springs in 2023, making history as the first black person to attain such feat.

Owolewa was re-elected with a remarkable 164,026 votes, capturing 82.84% of the total votes cast in DC.

Though his position as shadow representative does not grant him official voting rights in Congress, Owolewa plays a crucial role as an advocate for the district’s interests, particularly in DC’s ongoing push for statehood.

He has consistently championed the cause of DC statehood, which has become a central focus of his work.

Owolewa’s father is an indigene of Kwara State in Nigeria, while his mother hails from Osun State.

He is a graduate of Northeastern University in Boston with a PhD in pharmacy.

Chiaka Barry is an experienced legal officer with exceptional and diverse skills in litigation, alternative dispute resolution, legislative drafting, policy development, and project management and a passionate community leader who has dedicated her life to serving others.

Barry emigrated from the United Kingdom to Australia in 2008 and has since resided in Canberra. She studied law at the University of Canberra.

She was elected to the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Legislative Assembly for the Ginninderra District under the Liberal Party, Barry brings expertise in legal affairs, legislative drafting, and community advocacy, along with experience in alternative dispute resolution.

Segun Adeyina has held many high positions in Georgia and for over 25 years has worked in IT programme and project Management for Fortune 500 Companies across multiple industries, including General Motors, Ascension Health System and Hewlett Packard/ Cap Gemini.

Adeyina is a graduate of electrical engineering from the University of Akron, Ohio and also achieved a master’s degree in management information systems from Lawrence Technology University.

Adeyina also graduated from Federal Government College Ilorin in 1986. He earned a bachelor’s degree in physics from the University of Lagos in 1988.

On the other hand, Adeyemi Mobolade is a Nigerian-American businessman and politician, whose election as the 42nd Mayor of Colorado Springs, USA.

Mobolade was born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria. Mobolade’s father worked in finance for ExxonMobil while his mother was a high school teacher. He has an older brother and two younger sisters.

In August 1996, Mobolade immigrated to the United States. He graduated from Bethel University in 2001. He earned a master’s degree from Indiana Wesleyan University in management and leadership and a Master of Divinity from the A.W. Tozer Theological Seminary at Simpson University.

Mobolade became a United States citizen in 2017. He met his wife, Abbey, in Indiana; they have three children.

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