Oye Owolewa, a Nigerian-American Democrat, has been re-elected as the shadow representative for the District of Columbia (DC).

Owolewa, a PhD graduate from Northeastern University in Boston, made history in November 2020 when he became the first Nigerian-American elected to Congress.

He secured 164,026 votes, or 82.84 percent of the total votes cast in DC.

His role, while not officially recognized by the US government as a full member of Congress, is to advocate for the district’s interests, particularly its bid for statehood.

On Thursday, Owolewa expressed his gratitude to DC voters via a post on X, thanking them for their continued support.

“Thank you DC again for giving me chance to serve. I also want to thank the organizations that have supported, partnered with and endorsed me,” he wrote.

While shadow representatives like Owolewa do not have voting power in the US House of Representatives, they play a key role in pushing for recognition and state-level advocacy for DC residents, who are otherwise disenfranchised at the federal level.

Owolewa has consistently championed the cause of DC statehood, which has become a central focus of his work.

The re-election took place on November 5, the same day as the US presidential election.

In that election, former President Donald Trump defeated Vice-President Kamala Harris, securing over 270 electoral votes to win a second term.

United States President Joe Biden has urged Americans to accept the victory of Republican Party candidate Donald Trump in the presidential election.

On November 6, Trump won the presidential election after surpassing the magic number of 270 electoral college votes.

Trump defeated Kamala Harris of the Democratic Party, who received 219 electoral college votes.

Harris has congratulated Trump on his electoral victory.

During a speech on Thursday at the White House Rose Garden, Biden said, “We accept the choice the country made.”

“I know for some people, it’s time for victory to state the obvious. For others, it’s a time of loss,” the US president said.

“Campaigns are contests of competing visions. The country chooses one or the other.

“I’ve said many times, you can’t love your country only when you win. You can’t love your neighbour only when you agree.

“I will do my duty as president. I’ll fulfil my oath and honour the Constitution. On January 20, we will have a peaceful transfer of power here in America.

“Remember, defeat does not mean we are defeated. We lost this battle. The America of your dream is calling for you to get back up.

“The America experiment endures. We are going to be okay, but we need to stay engaged. We need to keep going. Above all, we need to keep the faith.”

Republican candidate Donald Trump has won the United States presidential election, surpassing the crucial 270 electoral college votes needed for victory.

With Wisconsin now secured, Trump has reached 276 electoral college votes, clearing the threshold required to claim the White House.

Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate, who currently holds 219 electoral college votes, is preparing her concession speech, which will be delivered shortly.

Trump successfully flipped several blue states to red and defeated Harris in key battleground states.

The Republican candidate is making a return to the White House after serving as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.

“This was a movement like nobody has ever seen before. We overcame obstacles that nobody thought possible,” Trump said just before the networks declared him the winner.

“Everyday, I will be fighting for you with every breath in my body. I will not rest until we have delivered the strong, safe and prosperous America that our children deserve. This will truly be the golden age of America.”

“We are going to help our country heal. We have a country that needs help, and it needs help very badly. We are gonna fix our borders, we are gonna fix everything about our country. We made history for a reason tonight.”

Trump based his campaign on issues such as immigration, the economy, and border security, frequently criticizing the Democratic Party as being “weak” on these fronts.