A Kwara State native Oye Owolewa has been elected into the US House of Representatives to represent the District of Colombia.
Mr Owolewa, a Nigerian-born Democrat, hails from Omu-Aran Local Government Area of Kwara.
He won the election on Tuesday with 82.65 per cent of votes which represents 135,234 votes.
In an Instagram post on Wednesday, the Nigerian restated his commitment to fighting for statehood for the district.
He wrote: “Good morning. Looks like WE DID IT!!! I want to thank everyone, from family and close friends to DC residents. Because of your contributions and sacrifices, I stand before you as America’s first Nigerian American congressman.
“In this role, I’m going to fight for DC statehood and bring our values to the lawmaking process. While today is day for some celebration, the hard work also follows. Again, thanks so much for everything. I wouldn’t be here without yall.”
Owolewa is a Ph.D holder in Pharmacy from the Northeastern University, Boston, US.
