A Nigerian-American Junior Steve Ezeonu, who became the youngest person to win the Grand Prairie City Council election in Texas, the United States at the age of 22, has urged more young people to be active in public office.

Ezeonu won the city’s council with 3,903 (51 per cent) votes, while his closest rival Greg Giessner garnered 3,720 (49 per cent) votes in a keenly contested runoff election that held on June 5.

“We do need young people willing to take that step and be active in public office. Diverse representation is important.  I believe God calls people to improve their communities. I want to make other people’s lives better,” Ezeonu said.

He  hopes to help improve some of the lower-income areas of Grand Prairie during his time on city council, as he believes he can provide service as a source of inspiration to many youths.

“I think that especially for the youth to see someone that looks like them and has a similar background to them can make a huge impact. If you want to be it, you have to see it first,” Ezeonu said.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Nigerians In Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) Abike Dabiri-Erewa has congratulated the new councillor for his victory at the polls.

In a statement issued by the Head of Media and Public Relations of NIDCOM Abdur-Rahman Balogun, she described his victory as very well-deserved, saying that “Ezeonu has proven that hard work and dedication to duty pays.”

The NIDCOM boss advised Ezeonu to fulfill all his electoral promises to the electorate as he had a lot of opportunities ahead of him in future, and encouraged Nigerians to strive for excellence in all their pursuits and continue to demonstrate the spirit of resilience.