Charles Onyejiaka
Americans in Franklin, New Jersey,
will vote for Charles Ejike
Onyejiaka, a fellow citizen and a
transplant from Imo State, Nigeria,
as the U.S. general election
unfolds today.
Mr. Onyejiaka, a democrat, is the
incumbent in a two-way race for
Ward 3 Councilman seat in
Franklin. He was one of three men
presented to Franklin Town
Council as fill-in candidates for the
unexpired term of Phil Kramer,
former Ward 3 Councilman, who
became Mayor of Franklin last
January.
Mr. Onyejiaka beat Alex Kharazi
and Azim Uddin, also democrats
and immigrants, to succeed
Kramer. Today, he is contesting
against Beverly Briggs-Lawson, a
Republican, in the general election.
Mr. Onyejiaka is one of four
Americans of Nigerian descent
whose names are on ballots in
grassroots elections at township
and county levels this year. The
others are George Chidi, Rasheed
‘BJ’ Dawodu and April Ademiluyi.
All four are product of currents of
civic engagement by hundreds of
immigrants and first generation
Americans who maintain their ties
to Nigeria even as they live
relatively comfortable lives in the
United States.
The rising crescendo of political
engagement by Nigerian-
Americans is, in some ways,
personified by the emergence of
Nigerian-American Public Affairs
Committee or NAPAC-USA, a self-
described “political and social
welfare think tank where the
intellectual and numerical assets of
Nigerians and Nigerian-Americans
could be harnessed to invigorate
our active participation in
American political and civic life”.
The organization originated from
the exertion of an intense,
voluntary, electioneering campaign
by some Nigerian-Americans on
behalf of a Democratic candidate
in
California’s 36th District during the 2011 special
election.
Spurred by the impact of their collective
energy, the volunteers decided to create a
permanent front which, with an eye on the 2012
general election, was organized as a political
action committee named Nigerian-American
Political Action Committee or NAPAC.
NAPAC and NAPAC-USA are legally registered
entities now, the former as a 501 (c) 3 public
welfare foundation and the latter as a 501 (c) 4
non-partisan membership advocacy group.
NAPAC Foundation exists for the sole purpose
of fostering and carrying “out the vision and
objectives of NAPAC-USA and its state PACs”.
Under American law, a PAC or political action
committee can raise and spend unlimited
amount of money on behalf of a political
candidate or to support an issue.
NAPAC Foundation is yet to accumulate the
billion dollar war chest some super PACs are
famous for, but it did raise $50,000 for the
Obama re-election Campaign because of what
the group describe as “our excitement that
someone with African roots had the historic
opportunity to seek and was actually elected to
the highest office of the land”.
Its campaign contribution in this election circle
has not been disclosed but there is cause to
believe that NAPAC has become the veritable
gathering place for Nigerian-American activists
across the United States, be they aspirants for
political office or community advocates.
Of the four Americans of Nigerian descent
running for office this year, only Onyejiaka
seems to have no contact with the organization.
Chidi and Dawodu attended NAPAC Convention
in Atlanta, Georgia, this past September where
they mingled with professionals, entrepreneurs
and activists from as many as ten states and
from cities as far as Los Angeles, New York,
Detroit and Baltimore. They had the honor of
being the only nominees for electoral positions
this year but not the distinction of being the
only break-out politicians at the convention.
Also
present
was
Tinuade
Pena, a
first
generation American who spent part of her
formative years in Lagos. An engineer and
business owner, Ms. Pena is also a U.S. Army
sergeant and long-time resident of Florida’s
Royal Palm Beach. She was a Democratic
candidate for District 86 of the Florida House of
Representatives this year but lost to a fellow
veteran during the primary election in August.
George Chidi is also a veteran and, the son of
George Njoku Chidi, a native of Umuoye in Imo
State. The younger George is running for a seat
on the Board of Commissioners in DeKalb
County, Georgia. His story reads almost like
that of Barack Obama. His dad arrived
Massachusetts in 1970 on a student visa, met his
mum who is a Caucasian of Polish descent.
They got married and, unlike Obama’s dad, the
older George stayed in the United States. George
junior was an active duty soldier in the 25th
Infantry Division of the U.S. Army for five years
and, he has been a journalist and civic leader
for twenty years.
Of the four Nigerian-Americans running for
office, he seems to have the deepest connection
to his constituents and the widest name
recognition among Americans and Nigerian-
Americans alike. He defeated eight other
aspirants to become the Democratic nominee
for this general election which he is strongly
favored to win. He is very supportive of the
Nigerian immigrant community, he is a known
face at their social events and an active
promoter of worthy causes, including the
candidacy of Rasheed Bolaji (or ‘BJ’) Dawodu.
Mr. Dawodu, a Democrat, is running against
Republican Kristie King for the position of Tax
Commissioner in Fayette County, Georgia. A
small business owner and seasoned financial
management professional, Dawodu relocated to
the United States from his native Lagos (Isale
Eko) more than 20 years ago. He worked
extensively in the public sector before going
into private practice, his bid for office of the
Tax Commissioner is actively supported by
Fayette Chamber of Commerce and his
immigrant constituency.
April
Ademiluyi is
the only
female
American of
Nigerian
descent
contesting in
the general
election and
she is
contesting
for a judicial
not
administrative position. She is a candidate for
the Seventh Circuit Court in Prince George’s
County, Maryland. April is a first generation
American with roots in the Ademiluyi royal
family in Ife.
Election into Circuit Courts is non-partisan,
candidates participate in as many party
primaries as they choose but they have to win
at least one primary to get on the ballot. Ms.
Ademiluyi won the Libertarian Party primary.
Prince George’s county is reputed to be home to
some of the richest Nigerians in the United
States, there have been some local fund raising
gatherings to support April’s candidacy. She
also got a boost from NAPAC president, Mr.
Segun Adeyina who came from Georgia to
campaign for her.
Township and county level elections usually do
not attract polling agencies so it is not easy to
track the progress of these candidates. One
thing that can be said for all of them is, if
elected, their constituencies will get top-tier
professionals and more in each of them.
Charles Onyejiaka has a degree in Electronics
Engineering from Thomas Edison State
University, he is also something of a veteran
public servant with experience dating back to
Nigeria’s Second Republic.
Born in Nkwerre, Mr. Onyejiaka grew up in a
family of public servants whose record of civic
engagement reached its zenith during Nigeria’s
Second Republic when Sam Mbakwe was
governor of Imo State. His uncle served as a
commissioner while an aunt worked as special
assistant in the governor’s office. Charles has
followed the footsteps of his Nigerian family in
his new country.
In 2015, he mobilized voter turn-out in numbers
that proved good enough to give Democrats
their first mayoral victory in Franklin
Township. He is prominent member of the local
Catholic community and has served on the
Township Planning Board.
George Chidi has a bachelor degree in
Journalism, MBA from Georgia Tech and was
chief executive officer of a firm that markets
competitive intelligence for corporate clients.
Rasheed Dawodu has degrees in accounting,i
law, public finance and is a certified fraud
examiner. He has worked for Fortune 500 firms
including General Electric and Georgia Pacific.
April Ademiluyi has a first degree was in
Chemical Engineering, law degree from an Ivy
League university and has been recognized by
Congressional leaders for working with families
facing foreclosure.
