The Labour Party has achieved a historic landslide victory in the UK general election held on 4 July 2024. This monumental win has ended 14 years of Conservative rule, with the Labour Party sweeping hundreds of seats across the country. Notably, several candidates of Nigerian descent contested seats in the parliament and emerged victorious. Out of 30 candidates, six secured seats to represent their respective constituencies.
The Labour Party, having won the majority of seats in parliament, had the highest number of British-Nigerians representing their constituencies. Eight British-Nigerians ran under the Labour Party, with four of them winning their seats. Meanwhile, the Conservative Party had four Nigerian-born Brits, two of whom were re-elected.
Nigerian Descent MPs to Know
Bayo Alaba
Bayo Alaba, born and raised in Forest Gate, East London, is a prominent figure known for his extensive community and voluntary service. He serves as a Board Trustee for the Phoenix Resource Centre, a notable charity operating both in the UK and abroad. Alaba won the Newcastle seat for the Labour Party, securing 15,395 votes against the Conservative candidate Gavin Haran, who garnered 11,368 votes. Alaba is a Labour Councillor, former Parachute Regiment soldier, school governor, youth mentor, charity trustee, and one of the pioneers of the east London creative economy. He is also a husband and father of three children. During his campaign, he sent a powerful message to Westminster: “You can’t hold Southend back any longer!” Alaba currently serves as the first black councillor for the London Borough of Redbridge.
Kemi Badenoch
Kemi Badenoch was born on 2 January 1980 in Wimbledon, London. She is one of three children of Nigerian Yoruba parents, Femi and Feyi Adegoke. Badenoch, a British-Nigerian politician, retained her seat in North West Essex in a tight race. Although the Conservative Party did not fare well in this general election, Badenoch secured 19,360 votes, accounting for 35.6% of the total votes—a 26.1% decrease from her previous majority. She has served as the MP for Saffron Walden since 2017 and was the Secretary of State for Business and Trade in Rishi Sunak’s cabinet. Badenoch spent her childhood in Lagos, Nigeria, and the United States, where her mother lectured. She returned to the UK at age 16 to live with her mother’s friend. Despite being born in the UK, Badenoch considers herself “to all intents and purposes a first-generation immigrant.”
Taiwo Owatemi
Taiwo Owatemi, born on 22 July 1992, grew up in Plumstead. Raised by her nurse mother after her father’s death when she was six, Owatemi has a Master’s degree in Pharmacy from the University of Kent and is a qualified pharmacist who practiced with the NHS Trust before entering politics. Elected to the UK Parliament in 2019, Owatemi won the Coventry North West seat for the Labour Party in the latest election, securing 19,696 votes against her main rival, Tom Mercer of the Tories, who received 8,522 votes. She has served as the Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities from September 2021 to September 2022. Owatemi is a member of Labour Friends of Israel and was part of a delegation that traveled to the country in February 2023. She announced the birth of her first child, a daughter, in December 2023.
Chi Onwurah
Chinyelu Susan “Chi” Onwurah, born on 12 April 1965 in Wallsend, attended Kenton School, Newcastle, and earned a degree in Electrical Engineering from Imperial College London. A British politician of Nigerian descent, Onwurah has been a member of the Labour Party and first held office in 2010. She was re-elected as MP for Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West in the recent election, receiving 18,875 votes. Before the election, she served as the Shadow Minister for Industrial Strategy.
Florence Dauta Eshalomi
Florence Eshalomi, born on 18 September 1980, has been a prominent British politician of Nigerian descent. She served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Vauxhall from 2019 until her seat was dissolved in 2024. Eshalomi, a member of the Labour and Co-operative parties, won the newly created Vauxhall and Camberwell Green constituency in the 2024 general election, securing 21,528 votes. She was previously a Member of the London Assembly (AM) for Lambeth and Southwark from 2016 to 2021. Eshalomi is the first member of her family to attend university, holding a BA Hons in Political & International Studies with Law from Middlesex University.
Kate Osamor
Kate Osamor is a British Labour politician who has served as Member of Parliament for Edmonton and Winchmore Hill since 2015. Born on 15 August 1968 in North London, Osamor grew up in Haringey as one of four children. Her father passed away during her childhood, and her mother, Martha Osamor (née Oburotha), worked multiple jobs to support the family. Osamor attended Creighton Comprehensive School in Muswell Hill and later completed an access course at Hackney College before studying Third World Studies at the University of East London, where she was diagnosed with dyslexia.
Osamor was re-elected into the UK Parliament after securing a total of 20,520 votes. She has been a prominent figure in the Labour Party, serving as the Shadow Secretary of State for International Development from 2016 to 2018. She is also a member of the Socialist Campaign Group parliamentary caucus.
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Congratulations to all the African descend winners, and indeed all other winners, in the parliamentary elections.
Congratulations to all the African descent winners, and indeed all other winners, in the parliamentary elections.