Oye Owolewa, a Nigerian-American Democrat, was re-elected as a shadow representative for the District of Columbia, DC.
Recall that Owolewa made history in November 2020 by becoming the first American of Nigerian origin elected to Congress. He received 164,026 votes, or 82.84% of the total votes in the District of Columbia.
Its role, although not officially recognized by the American government as a full member of Congress, is to protect the interests of the district, especially its offer for citizenship. Owolewa expressed his gratitude to DC voters through a post on X on Thursday, thanking them for their continued support. “Thank you again to DC for giving me the opportunity to serve. I also want to thank the organizations that supported, hired and supported me,” he wrote.
DAILY POST reports that shadow representatives have no voting power in the US House of Representatives. They play a key role in promoting recognition and advocacy at the state level for residents of the District of Columbia, DC, who are otherwise disenfranchised at the federal level. Owolewa has always championed the cause of DC citizenship, which has become a central focus of his work.