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Meet four British-Nigerians who won UK parliament seats

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British citizens on Thursday, July 4, 2024, trooped out to their various polling units to elect members of parliament that will form a new government.

 

In the election, the Labour Party won overwhelmingly to secure 412 seats out of 650 to end the 14-year rule of the Conservatives.

 

Consequently, the Labour leader, Keir Starmer has been officially appointed as the British Prime Minister, after Rishi Sunak conceded defeat and resigned as Tory leader.

 

Four prominent British-Nigerians were victorious at the polls.

 

Kemi Badenoch returns as Tory MP despite Conservatives’ ouster

Renowned British-Nigerian in the United Kingdom Parliament, Kemi Badenoch, won her seat in North West Essex in the July 4 Parliamentary elections.

 

Badenoch was re-elected as a Conservative Party member of Parliament despite a landslide loss of the Tories to the Labour Party.

She won with 19,360 votes defeating her main challenger, Labour’s Issy Waiter, who garnered 16,750 votes.

 

Speaking shortly after her victory at the polls, Badenoch said, “Many of my friends and colleagues have lost their seats. They have served their country with distinction. Their service will never be in vain. But the public have spoken and they have said loud and clear that the Conservatives have lost their trust.”

 

Born on January 2, 1980, Badenoch served as Britain’s Secretary of State for Business and Trade from 2023 to 2024. She also served as the President of the Board of Trade and Minister for Women and Equalities from 2022 to 2024.

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Resilient, bold and diligent, Badenoch was tipped to succeed the immediate past UK Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, as she showed interest after Liz Truss resigned in October 2022.

 

The 44-year-old British politician has been in the UK Parliament representing Saffron Walden as an MP from 2017.

 

Badenoch studied Computer Systems Engineering at the University of Sussex and got a Master’s degree in 2003. She also studied Law at Birkbeck, University of London.

 

She got married to Hamish Badenoch in 2012 and is blessed with three children.

 

Businessman Bayo Alaba wins Newcastle for Labour Party

British-Nigerian businessman, Bayo Alaba, won the Southend East and Rochford for Labour Party.

 

Alaba won with 15,395 votes against the Conservative Party’s candidate, Gavin Haran with 11,368 votes.

 

Widely known as a successful former Parachute Regiment soldier, and youth mentor, Alaba is currently serving as the first black councillor for the London Borough of Redbridge.

 

Born and raised in Forest Gate, east London, Alaba is a Board Trustee for Phoenix Resource Centre, a sustainable charity with operations in the UK and abroad.

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Commenting on his victory, Alaba said, “The people of Southend East Rochford have put their trust in our changed Labour Party. Now is the time to deliver.

 

“This will be the greatest thing of my life. I will work every day to repay the trust you put in me,” he added.

 

Former Shadow Minister, Taiwo Owatemi who staged comeback

A former Member of Parliament of Nigerian descent, Taiwo Owatemi, also won the UK Parliament election in Coventry North West for the Labour Party.

 

Owatemi polled 19,696 votes to defeat her main rival, Tom Mercer from the Tories, who secured 8,522 votes.

 

She served as the Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities from September 2021 to September 2022.

 

Born on July 22, 1992, Owatemi who grew up in Plumstead was first elected into the UK Parliament in 2019.

 

The 31-year-old politician got a Master’s degree in Pharmacy from the University of Kent. She worked at a cancer unit in Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust before venturing into politics.

 

Owatemi was a member of Labour Friends of Israel and part of the delegation that travelled to the country in February 2023.

 

After her victory in the election, Owatemi, who was a spokesperson for the Medical Research Council, said, “Words cannot express my gratitude to the people of Coventry North West. Your trust in me, in our shared vision, for a brighter future, is truly humbling.”

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“It is the honour of my life to represent you and I will continue to work tirelessly to ensure your voices are represented,” she added.

 

Chi Onwurah continues winning streak

Chi Onwurah has been re-elected as an MP to represent Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West for the Labour Party in the UK Parliament election.

 

Onwurah came victorious with 18,875 votes on July 4 as the Labour Party recorded a landslide win that unseated the Tories.

 

Before the election, Onwurah born on April 12, 1965 was the Shadow Minister for Industrial Strategy.

 

The 59-year-old born in Wallsend, who was first elected into the UK Parliament in 2010, defeated her closest opponent Ashton Muncaster of the Reform Party who had 7,815 votes.

 

She attended Kenton School, Newcastle and got a degree in Electrical Engineering from Imperial College London.

 

In her remarks after the secured victory, Onwurah said, “Thank you from the Labour team to everyone in Newcastle Central and West for putting your confidence in Labour and electing me as your Member of Parliament. We will not let you down!”

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Aisha Achimugu: From Business Powerhouse to Paris Style Icon

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Paris has always had a way of making fashion feel less like clothing and more like theatre. And when the world’s style aristocracy gathered for the Spring/Summer 2027 season, Nigerian high flying businesswoman, Aisha Achimugu, arrived with the kind of polished glamour that commands attention without demanding it.

Against the timeless backdrop of the French capital, Achimugu stepped into the world of Paris Fashion Week in a look that married sophistication with modern femininity. Her ensemble was defined by a refined silhouette, impeccable tailoring and the kind of carefully considered styling in which every detail appeared deliberate. The proportions were elegant, the finish luxurious, while her accessories added just the right measure of sparkle and personality.

Her beauty look complemented rather than competed with the outfit. Immaculately styled hair, luminous makeup and a poised, confident bearing completed the picture, allowing the clothes to retain their quiet authority. It was a lesson in restraint: nothing appeared excessive, yet every element, from the jewellery to the finishing touches, contributed to the overall effect.

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The real strength of Achimugu’s Paris appearance, however, was in the details. The interplay of texture and silhouette gave the look dimension, while the accessories provided those subtle flashes of glamour associated with the best society dressing. There was an understanding of proportion, balance and occasion, a recognition that at Paris Fashion Week, being noticed is not necessarily about wearing the loudest look in the room.

For Achimugu, fashion has never seemed like an afterthought. It is part of the persona, the jewellery, the sculpted silhouettes, the luxurious textures, the immaculate finishing and that unmistakable confidence of a woman comfortable in her own skin.

Her Paris appearance offered yet another glimpse into the glamorous lifestyle of the Felak Concept Group boss, whose public persona has over the years straddled business, philanthropy, high society and fashion.

In the city, amid the fashion houses and international style elite, Achimugu appeared more than as a spectator but as a Nigerian woman confidently occupying a global fashion space. Her look spoke in the sophisticated language of Parisian dressing, polished, assured and intentionally glamorous, while retaining the unmistakable confidence of a woman bringing her own sense of style to the occasion.

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And as the lights of Paris dimmed on another fashionable season, her appearance left behind the unmistakable impression of a woman who understands that fashion, at its most powerful, is as much about presence as it is about clothes.

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70-year-old ex-Kogi senator Ocheja marries best friend’s granddaughter

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A video from the wedding of former Kogi East Senator Emmanuel Dangana Ocheja and his new wife has surfaced online.

According to a report by Punch Online, the white wedding was held in Abuja on September 19, 2026

Ocheja, 70, is said to have held his traditional wedding with his new wife, identified simply as Winifred, on September 13.

The traditional ceremony was followed by their white wedding on September 19.

Ocheja is seen in the video dressed in matching colours with Winifred as they danced together.

The former senator appeared cheerful as the couple shared an intimate moment while guests watched and celebrated with them.

A photo from their white wedding has also surfaced online, showing Ocheja dressed in a white suit and black bow tie.

Winifred, said to be the granddaughter of Ocheja’s best friend, wore a sparkly wedding gown and held a bouquet as she posed beside her husband.

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Ocheja is a Law graduate from Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria. He ventured into politics in the early 2000s.

He represented Kogi east senatorial district in the national assembly between 2011 and 2015 under the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

Ocheja later resigned from the PDP and announced that he had joined the All Progressives Congress (APC).

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How I manage Davido’s finances, spending habits — Sharon Adeleke

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Sharon Ademefun Adeleke, the elder sister of Afrobeats superstar, Davido, has revealed how she manages her brother’s finances and her unconventional approach to marriage.

Sharon disclosed this while appearing on the Morayo Show, adding that she regularly discusses Davido’s finances with him, particularly his spending on cars and jewellery.

“One of the major things I’m always getting on my brother is jewellery and cars. My God!” she said.

“Me and him will sit down. We will have a finance meeting every week because I think it is important for him to know how his money is being spent.

“And I will now say, ‘David, please, no more cars, no more jewellery.’ Twenty-four hours later, you will start seeing it on the blogs that he bought another car.”

Sharon, a mother of three, also spoke about her marriage, saying she made it clear to her husband from the outset that she did not intend to follow a traditional approach.

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“When I met my husband, I explained to him that there isn’t going to be a traditional kind of marriage,” she said.

“I remember, I think in the first few months of us dating, I cooked and all the things. When he was eating, I was like, ‘Oh babe, are you enjoying the food?’ He said yes.

“And I said, ‘Good. Now you know I know how to cook, but I don’t like cooking, and I hope that’s not going to be a problem.”

The entrepreneur revealed how she built her wig-making business. She said she learnt to make wigs out of frustration with the difficulty of securing skilled hairstylists and wig makers, who were often fully booked.

“I learnt how to make wigs because I was frustrated because really good hairstylists and wig makers are always busy. Even if you drop your things with them, every week they will still be busy,” she said.

“So, one day I said, ‘What is this wig making? Let me just try.’ At that time, there was maybe one video or two compared to now, when if you go on YouTube, you can find thousands of videos about wig making.

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“I was heavily pregnant and very bored, so my husband took me to the beauty shop, and I bought all the pieces. I just started trying, and then I started doing it more and more. Then my friends started asking me to make wigs for them.”

Sharon said she believes people sometimes discover their businesses unexpectedly rather than through careful planning.

“I’m a big believer that when God gives you a business, you kind of fall into it sometimes. It is not something that you planned,’ she said.

“When I started going into it, I started going for training all over the world.”

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