2020 US Election: Nine Nigerians running for political office in US election

In addition to Tuesday’s presidential election in the United States, there is also the election of several state governors and members of the House of Representatives and the Senate.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) says nine Nigerians are vying for US, federal, state and local seats.

Many of them are running under the banner of Democrats who oppose President Trump’s Republican Party.

Oye Owolewa is a native of Kwara State

Nigerians include Oye Owolewa, a native of Kwara State who is running for the House of Representatives under the Democrats.

Mr. Owolewa, 30, who is running for Columbia District in Washington DC, will be the first Nigerian to serve in the US House of Representatives.

Yomi Faparusi is a native of Ekiti State

Mr. Yomi Faparusi, a native of Ekiti State, is running for the Senate seat for the state of Tennessee in the United States.

Mr. Faparusi, who holds a doctorate degree in medicine from the University of Ibadan and a doctorate degree at Hopkins University, ran for the House of Representatives in 2014 and 2016 but lost both.

Yinka Faleti is a native of Lagos State

In Missouri, a Republican-controlled state, Yinka Faleti from Lagos is running for secretary of state.

Mr. Faleti is a veteran in the United States Army between 1998 and 2004.

Paul Akinjo is a native of Ondo State

Paul Akinjo, a native of Ondo State, is running for the state assembly seat under the Democrat Party.

Mr. Akinjo once served as Deputy Mayor of Lathrop, California.

Adewunmi Kuforiji is a native of Oyo State

Adewunmi Kuforiji, a native of Oyo State, is running for the Delaware House of Representatives. He won a run-off election on September 15 where he defeated his opponent Robert Haynes.

He will face incumbent Lyndon Yearick, who lost in the 2018 midterm elections.

Esther Agbaje

At the state level Esther Agbaje is seeking a seat in the Minnesota Legislature under the DFLP a branch of the Democrats.

Ms Agbaje, who studied law at Harvard University and a master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania, has worked at the State Department.

Ademiluyi and Ngozi Akubuike and Benjamin Osemenam

At the local level there are April Ademiluyi, Ngozi Akubuike and Benjamin Osemenam all Nigerians running in the US election.