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.”

Environmentalists are concerned that Donald Trump’s victory in the United States presidential election could undermine global efforts to address climate change.

On Wednesday, Trump defeated Vice-President Kamala Harris to become the 47th president of the US.

His win has sparked reactions from climate advocates, who fear that his return to power could weaken international climate commitments, especially as the world prepares for the COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Daniel Gwary, director of arid zone studies at the University of Maiduguri, warned that Trump’s victory could dampen enthusiasm among nations attending COP29 to increase their emission reduction commitments.

Gwary cautioned that developed countries might be less inclined to provide greater financial support for loss and damage, as well as adaptation, which are key concerns for developing nations.

“He cannot continue to be in self-denial that we now have a climate emergency that requires united global action under the Paris Agreement to protect our planet,” Gwary said.

“Analysts believe that Mr Trump is likely to revise the US climate law and strike a cautious balance of staying with some commitment to reduce carbon emissions but not accepting his country to take the expected leadership of driving climate action.

“The European Union and China will have to drive the tricycle without the US under the Trump administration.”

Nnimmo Bassey, executive director of Health of Mother Earth Foundation, warned that Trump’s victory could lead to higher emissions and widen financial gaps in addressing climate change.

“It will be a sad day if Trump again pulls away from climate negotiations as he did during his first coming,” Bassey said.

“His campaign promises to ‘drill baby drill’ will also compound the climate crisis, seeing that existing oil reserves are unburnable if the world hopes to avoid catastrophic global warming.

“His victory will already damper whatever hopes some may have had on COP29, delivering any serious signals that the widening emissions and financial gaps would be narrowed.”

Faten Aggad, executive director of the African Future Policies Hub, expressed concerns about the potential consequences of Trump’s policies on Africa, particularly in relation to the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which aims to enhance trade relations between the US and sub-Saharan Africa.

Aggad warned that a trade war with China could disrupt supply chains and impact access to key green technologies, making a successful green transition more difficult for developing nations.

“One of the key questions for Africa relates to the trade agenda of the Trump administration,” Aggad said.

“Specifically, how his administration will handle the negotiations around AGOA and what impact would a likely acceleration of the trade war with China have on supply chains—and, therefore, the affordability and access to key green technologies? A successful green transition hinges on trade cooperation, and the likely increased protectionism in the US, which is likely to be mimicked in the EU, is a concern.”

One of the most pressing fears surrounding Trump’s second term is the potential for a second US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, a treaty in which nations committed to limiting global warming to 1.5°C.

In 2017, during his first presidency, Trump announced the US’s departure from the accord, a decision that was met with global criticism.

Although Trump’s inauguration is not set until January 2025, his election has cast a shadow over the upcoming COP29, which is being billed as a “finance COP.”

The summit will see Global South countries, including those in Africa, calling for a new $1 trillion climate finance goal to help them adapt to climate change.

Mohamed Adow, founder of the climate think tank Power Shift Africa, said Trump’s victory “puts COP29 in great limbo,” noting that the world could not afford another US exit from the Paris Agreement.

He called for continued climate action and justice, as millions of vulnerable people are facing the impacts of climate change globally.

“The gavel has fallen on the US elections. The uncertainty of this election has disrupted progress in climate negotiations for months. At the Bonn session in June, developed countries were too cautious to pledge any money for climate finance,” Adow said.

“The victory of President-elect Donald Trump puts increased scrutiny on this COP.

“Baku is expected to and must deliver a clear plan for climate finance for the vulnerable communities of the world.

“Only an ambitious new finance goal in Baku will protect the current climate momentum from a potentially disastrous Trump presidency.

“This is a moment of profound apprehension in global climate diplomacy. But not one to cower from in dread.”

Former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga also weighed in, emphasizing the importance of US leadership in providing grants-based climate finance to meet the adaptation and mitigation needs of developing countries.

“Actions of the United States on climate change at home and globally will shape how Africa, a continent that is least responsible for the climate crisis yet suffering most from climate impacts, will navigate its development path, deliver energy access to over 600 million people who are without electricity access today,” Odinga said.

“Climate negotiations at COP29 in Baku, coming on the back of US elections, is a perfect opportunity for the US to step up and be a global steward of the planet.”