As Fine Gael's Enda Kenny, Labour's Eamon Gilmore, Sinn Fein's Gerry Adams, the Socialist Party’s Joe Higgins and many independents celebrate their Dáil election victories, three immigrant candidates – though missing out on seats – also have cause for cheer.
Cllr Rotimi Adebari, Clement Esebamen and Buhidma Hussein Hamed stood as independent candidates in Laois-Offaly, Dublin West and Dublin South respectively, and succeeded in getting many votes – in some cases more than party candidates, including the poor-showing Greens.
Nigerian-born Cllr Ade-bari, a former Mayor of Portlaoise Town Council, was eliminated at the fifth count with 691 votes, and came 13th out of 21 candidates in his constituency. With 628 first prefence votes, or 0.8 per cent of votes cast, he is by far the most successful of the three.
Also from Nigeria, Esebamen – a former senior policy advisor in the office of the Minister for Integration - was eliminated at the eliminated at the second count in Dublin West with 288 votes. His first preference votes were 280, which represented 0.7 per cent of votes cast.
Meanwhile in Dublin South, Libyan-born Hussein Hamed secured 0.4 per cent of the vote, totaling 273, but was eliminated at the second count with 318.
Reacting to the election, Cllr Adebari thanked his supporters and told Metro Éireann: “It is a worthy experience.”
Clement Esebamen commented: "We had a very positive campaign. People were very receptive to our new ideas. I am delighted that many people actually went there to give me their number one."
At press time there was no reaction from Buhidma Hussein Hamed.
