30 Nigerians on the ballot in UK election

At least 30 British citizens of Nigerian origin will be on the ballot in the United Kingdom’s elections scheduled for Thursday, July 4.

An analysis of the list of candidates by a UK election data supplier, Democracy Club, showed that 20 British-Nigerians will be representing mainstream parties, including the Labour Party, the Conservatives Party, the Liberal Democrats, and the Reform UK, while the rest are from smaller parties or contesting as independents.

The new Parliament is expected to be the most diverse in Britain’s history as more ethnic minorities, including Nigerians, in mainstream and fringe parties, are making strong overtures to the electorate with persuasive manifestos.

To stand as a candidate in a UK Parliamentary General Election, a candidate must be at least 18 years old and a citizen of a commonwealth country who does not require leave to enter or remain in the UK, or has indefinite leave to remain in the UK.

Some of the candidates are seeking re-elections to the parliament, others are appearing on the ballot paper for the first time, hoping to get the votes of their constituencies.