Ikuforiji, Jafojo Pay Historic Visit To Georgia Assembly

History was made at the close of the Georgia Assembly Session last week as the former Speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Adeyemi Sabit Ikuforiji and the former Chief of Staff to the sitting Speaker and son of the former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Hon Adewale Jafojo, paid a courtesy visit to the Georgia General Assembly in Atlanta.

The auspicious visit was borne out of the recent unprecedented record made by Nigerians in the Diaspora who are active in the United States politics.

Recall that at the last polls in the US, five Nigerians were elected into the Georgia General Assembly for the first time in history.

Representatives Segun Adeyina, Gabe Okoye, Solomon Adesanya, Tish Naghise, and Phil Olaleye were all candidates for Georgia State Representatives under the platform of the Democratic Party. They all won in each of their respective Districts.

Rt. Hon. Ikuforiji and Jafojo met the new Speaker of the Georgia House, Speaker Jon Burns who was pleased to meet with them as Rt Hon. Ikuforiji based on his observations, as the latter’s experience is similar to that of Lagos State.

Welcoming the duo of Ikuforji and Jafojo, Segun Adeyina, representing District 110, could not hide his excitement to see his countrymen paying them a courtesy visit.

While reacting, he said, “It is my deepest joy to see my people from home in Nigeria checking on us here, especially Rt Hon Ikuforji. Sir, we are following your footpaths here. Remember you are a 4-star general as a parliamentarian”, he added, referring to Rt Hon Ikuforji who was a one-time member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, where he served as the Speaker for 10 years at a stretch.

Ikuforji appreciated the fact that the likes of Adeyina and his other Nigerian colleagues are not only active in the United States politics but also got elected into elective positions.

Jafojo urged them not to rest on their oars but to keep pushing. He charged them to keep representing well.

In his words, “The triumph showed the doggedness of Nigerians to survive everywhere.”

They also met the Democratic Party Leaders – Minority Leader James Beverly; Democratic Caucus Chair – Billy Mitchell; Georgia Legislative Black Caucus Chair, Carl Gilliard and a long-serving Representative, Roger Bruce who had visited Nigeria before.

No fewer than 8 Nigerians won legislative seats in the United States midterm elections last year. Tish Naghise, representing Georgia’s District 68, passed on early last month.