Ndukwe Onuoha, British-Nigerian poet, elected councillor in UK

Ndukwe Onuoha, a British-Nigerian poet, has been elected a councillor in his ward.

He was elected on the platform of the Labour Party to represent the Mackworth and New Zealand ward in Derby City Council.

Onuoha, nominated by his party in November 2022, was the only candidate of African descent to have emerged winner.

The Derby council announced the poet’s victory via a tweet on Friday.

“MACKWORTH & NEW ZEALAND RESULTS
Ndukwe Onuoha (Labour), Gaurav Pandey (Conservatives), John Whitby (Labour) have been elected. Labour GAIN,” the council tweeted.

MACKWORTH & NEW ZEALAND RESULTS 🗳️
Ndukwe Onuoha (Labour), Gaurav Pandey (Conservatives), John Whitby (Labour) have been elected. Labour GAIN.#LocalElection2023 pic.twitter.com/Bcq9MLx90G

— Derby City Council (@DerbyCC) May 5, 2023

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The Derby council said Onuoha polled 1,168 votes to become councillor.

Hey Mackworth and New Zealand, we did it! pic.twitter.com/5mefKCcoML

— Ndụkwe Ọnụọha (@endi2g) May 5, 2023

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Nwando Umeh, another Nigerian and a Labour Party candidate, contested as one of the representatives of the Mackworth and New Zealand ward, but lost after she polled 1,084 votes, the council said.

The law provides that a British or a citizen of the commonwealth – to which Nigeria belongs, having been colonised by the British – is eligible to contest for a councillor position in the UK.