Dr. John Emeka, Akude, a Nigerian-born political scientist from Abatete, Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State, yesterday, emerged as the first black man to be elected as a member of Cologne’s City Council in Germany.
On Sunday 13 September, millions of voters went to the polls in towns and cities across North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany’s most populous state, to vote for Lord Mayors, Mayors, Councillors and the Integration Councils.
The African Courier reports that Many candidates of African origin participated at the elections. However, Akude made history by becoming the first Councillor of African origin in Cologne, Germany’s 4th biggest city with about 1 million inhabitants.
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Reacting to Akude’s victory, Rahab Njeri, the only other African-origin candidate who took part in the election in Cologne said though she was not elected but all African-descendant inhabitants of the city were winners with the victory of the Nigerian-born politician.
Other results that have been released show that several African candidates won elections into the Integration Council (Integrationsrat) in their cities and towns, including another Nigerian, Kevin Uguru in Essen, Pastor Lumbu in Dortmund and Elizabeth Kaneza in Aachen.