Nigerian To Run For Elections In New York

A Nigerian, Mrs Olanike Alabi will be running for the New York State Assembly elections in Brooklyn’s 57th Assembly District billed for Nov. 6.

Alabi’s parents are Nigerians from Oyo State, but she was born and raised in Brooklyn where she is currently an elected District Leader in Fort Greene/Clinton Hill area.

Speaking in an interview with the North America correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Friday, Alabi said that if elected `` I will fight for the issues most important to our community’’.

According to her, this will include maintaining and protecting rent stabilisation, affordable public housing for families in the community.

The aspirant said she would also advocate for prevailing and living wage jobs and support workforce training and development programmes.

“I will continue to support efforts that will provide access to quality, affordable primary and preventive health care programmes that residents of the district can count on, fight for adequate funding for hospitals and community based healthcare and diagnostic and treatment centres,’’ she said.

On education, Alabi said she would support reforms in the sector which would challenge and prepare children and youth, and place them on the right track to compete in a global economy.

“I will advocate for policies that will decrease class size, provide adequate services and resources to boost overall performance of our students and teachers,” she said.

A product of the New York City public school system, Alabi was also educated at Temple University in London, and most recently, Cornell University’s, School of Industrial & Labor Relations.
In 2006, she was elected as the Democratic State Committeewoman (District Leader) of the 57th Assembly District.

She was also elected by the voters of the 10th Congressional District as a pledged delegate to the 2008 Democratic National Convention in support of then, Barack Obama and will be a delegate at the 2012 Democratic National Convention.