Three Nigerians win British parliamentary seats

Three out of five Nigerians, Chuka Ummuna,
Helen Grant and Chi Onwurah, who contested in
the United Kingdom general elections on
Thursday, have emerged victorious winning
seats in the British parliament.
Ummuna, who contested on the platform of
the Labour Party, won the constituency seat for
Streatham with 20,037 votes (42.8 per cent),
beating Chris Nicholson, a Liberal Democrat with
16,778 votes (35.8 per cent), Rahoul Bhansali of
the Conservative Party with 8,578 votes (18.3 per
cent), Rebecca Findlay of the Green Party with 861
votes (1.8 per cent), and Geoffrey Macharia of
Christian Party with 237 votes (0.5 per cent).
Ummuna, who was born and bred in
Steatham, is well known in his community and
generally referred to as 'the UK Obama'.
Prior to becoming Labour's parliamentary
candidate in Streatham, Ummuna was Vice Chair
of Streatham Labour Party from 2004 to 2008
and had held a variety of positions throughout
the local party. He is a member of the GMB and
Unite trade unions and sits on the management
committee of progressive pressure group,
Compass
"I know our party will do everything we can for
the residents of this fantastic place," Ummuna
said after emerging victorious on Friday.
Grant, born in London in 1962, of a Nigerian
father and British mother, has become
Conservative Party's first black female Member of
Parliament. She secured the seat for Maidstone
and the Weald constituency with 23,491 votes
(48.0 per cent), beating second and third runner-
ups Peter Carroll, a Liberal Democrat, who
garnered 17,602 votes (36.0 per cent) and Rav
Seeruthun of Labour with 4,769 (9.7 per cent).
Also, Onwurah, won the Newcastle Central seat
as a Labour Party candidate. Onwurah secured
the parliamentary seat with 15,692 votes (45.9
per cent), beating Gareth Kane, a Liberal Democrat
with 8,228 votes (24.1 per cent), and
Conservative's Nick Holder with 6,611 votes (19.4
per cent).
Two Nigerians, Abiodun Akinoshun and Kemi
Adegoke, who also vied in the 2010 UK general
polls lost to other candidates. Akinoshun
contested for the Erith and Thamesmead
parliamentary seat as an independent candidate.
He got 438 votes, losing to Labour candidate,
Teresa Pearce, who got 19,068 votes. Adegoke
who contested as a Conservative for the Dulwich
and West Norwood parliamentary seat lost with
10,684 votes (22.2 per cent) to Labour candidate
Tessa Jowell, who scored 22,461 votes (46.6 per
cent).