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Nigerian-Born Politician, Gabe Okoye, Runs For US Senate
-Nigerian-born politician, Gabe Okoye, runs for US Senate
–Gabe Okoye hails from Enugwu-Aguleri, in Anambra
–Okoye is presently a Planning Commissioner in Gwinnett County
A Nigerian, Mr Gabe Okoye, is on the poll in a forthcoming Democratic Party’s senatorial major runoff election within the U.S.
Okoye, who hails from Enugwu-Aguleri, in Anambra, is in search of the primary opposition social gathering’s ticket for the Nov. three basic election into the Georgia State Senate to symbolize District 9.
Okoye, who’s a chieftain of the social gathering within the state, faces a black feminine challenger, Nikki Merritt, within the second spherical scheduled for Aug. 11.
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They each superior to the runoff stage after defeating a 3rd aspirant, Cheryle Moses, within the first spherical of the first held on June 9.
The winner will face the incumbent, Sen. Peter Martin, a Republican, who has been representing the district since 2015 and is in search of a fourth time period.
Okoye is presently a Planning Commissioner in Gwinnett County, the second-most populous native authorities in Georgia, and is the primary black man to function a commissioner within the county’s 202-year historical past.
The civil engineer and founding father of Georgia-based development agency, Essex Geoscience, additionally presently serves on the Executive Committee Board of the Gwinnett and state chapters of the Democratic Party.
Among different targets, Okoye is in search of to seize the District 9 seat from the Republican Party, which has held it for over 30 years, “with nothing to show for it”.
He instructed the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that he was additionally aspiring to offer the black group in Gwinnet County, his base, a robust voice on the state stage.
In these regards, the senatorial hopeful carved a distinct segment for himself whereas serving because the Democratic Party chairman within the native authorities between 2016 and 2018.
As of the time he emerged the social gathering chairman in 2016, Gwinnett was a Republican stronghold, with solely 5 of the 25 elected officers within the county being Democrats.
However, the tide turned when Okoye led the social gathering into the 2018 mid-term elections and recorded historic wins.
They captured 13 elected places of work, together with the vast majority of Gwinnett seats within the Georgia state legislature, from the Republicans, who presently maintain solely seven positions.
The Democratic Party swept the 2 county fee seats that have been up for election and in addition took one of many two School Board seats contested for.
Also, the social gathering reclaimed the workplace of the Solicitor General of the county after a long time within the palms of the Republicans.
“Under my management of the social gathering, we elected the primary black commissioner, first black college board member, and in addition the primary black Solicitor-General of the county in its 200-year historical past as of 2018.
“The Democratic Party also produced the first black state judge from this county under my watch,” Okoye instructed NAN.
In recognition of those historic achievements in Gwinnett, the Georgia House of Representatives in Resolution 313 of 2019, designated Nov. 6 of that yr as Gabe Okoye Leadership Day.
The decision partly learn: “Gwinnett County is essentially the most numerous and the second largest county within the State of Georgia, however this range was not mirrored within the county’s management.
“Gabe Okoye exhibited nice management in mobilising and educating the assorted 9communities of Gwinnett County on the basic proper to vote.
“He labored laborious to assist make the management of the county extra inclusive, and the results of his laborious work was made manifest throughout the basic election on Nov. 6, 2018.
“Therefore, be it resolved by the House of Representatives that the members of this body commend Gabe Okoye and recognise Nov. 6, 2019, as Gabe Okoye Leadership Day in Gwinnett County.”
Okoye moved to the U.S. in 1981, and has been residing in Lawrenceville, a suburb of Atlanta and headquarters of Gwinnett County, since 1992.
On arrival within the U.S., he began life as a safety guard, labored his manner by school to change into a licensed civil engineer, and later grew to become a longtime Essex Geoscientist.
Married and blessed with 4 “grown and profitable youngsters’’, Okoye believes he has realised his American dream, and is combating for others to understand theirs.
“Therefore, I’ll give a fearless, sturdy voice to the silent majority in our district and our county normally,’’ he mentioned on his marketing campaign web site.
Okoye told NAN that one other of his predominant targets was to deliver the Nigerian group into the mainstream of U.S. politics.
Okoye, who represented Nigerians within the Diaspora on the 2014 National Conference in Abuja, decried the absence of his fellow countrymen within the U.S. political and civic area, despite their monumental contributions to the nation’s growth.
“What we Nigerians do right here is to attend our varied ethnic conferences after which go dwelling.
“Our folks don’t combine with the primary stream of this nation, and I feel it’s improper.
“I additionally assume that we aren’t main our youngsters the proper manner. We ought to clear the way in which for them into the American politics.
“We don’t hear our names within the political lexicon of this space. I need to encourage our youngsters to enter politics,’’ he instructed NAN
[NAN]
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