A migrant Nigerian woman, Uruemu Adejinmi, has been elected as Mayor of Longford County Council in Ireland, making her the first African and black person to get such an honour.
Adejinmi’s election as Cathaoirleach of Longford Municipal District also makes her the country’s first female African Mayor, triggering a series of firsts for the county.
Her journey into politics began in 2016 when she supported a candidate in a local election.
Shortly afterwards, her neighbour asked her to join Fianna Fáil.
“At that stage, I became very active. I was going to meetings and fundraisers, travelling to Dublin for the convention and getting involved in every way possible,” she said.
In 2018, she undertook an internship with the Immigrant Council of Ireland, shadowing Joe Flaherty while he was a local councillor. In 2020, Flaherty became a T.D. and Adejinmi was co-opted to his seat.
