Rotimi Adebari

Rotimi Adebari (born 1964 in Okeodan, Ogun State) is a Nigerian-born Irish politician. He was elected as the first black mayor in Ireland.

He fled Nigeria in 2000, and made claim for asylum on the grounds of religious persecution, but his application was rejected due to insufficient evidence he had personally suffered persecution. [ [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/28/AR2007062801278.html Shawn Pogatchnik, "Ireland Gets Its First Black Mayor", Associated Press, June 28, 2007] ] He gained residency in Ireland under the Irish Born Child scheme (since repealed).

He and his family settled in County Laois. In 2004, he was elected as a city councilor in local elections. In June 2007 he was elected as mayor of Portlaoise Town Council (9 members), with support from Fine Gael (2 seats) and Sinn Féin (1 seat). [ [http://www.laois.ie/YourCouncil/TownCouncils/PortlaoiseTownCouncil/ElectionofNewMayor-28thJune2007/ County Laois, Election of Town Mayor Makes History, June 28, 2007] ]

He completed his master's degree in intercultural studies at Dublin City University. [ [http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/0628/adebarir.html Ireland elects its first black mayor, RTÉ News, June 28, 2007] ] [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/6251094.stm Ireland elects first black mayor, BBC News, 28 June 2007] ]

Controversy

In late 2007 media reports in the Irish Mail and the Laois Nationalist questioned how Adebari claimed refugee status in Ireland when the first country he arrived in after fleeing Nigeria was France which would invalidate an asylum application in Ireland under the Dublin convention. It is also claimed that he worked in the London underground a year before entering Ireland. [ [http://archives.tcm.ie/laoisnationalist/2007/11/01/story26956.asp Mayor at a loss to understand allegations] ] It has been reported that the London Underground employee who made the original claims has now pledged to get union documentation and affidavits from 50 "former co-workers" of Mr. Adebari. Mayor Adebari feels the allegations made do not require further response. [ [http://archives.tcm.ie/laoisnationalist/2007/11/08/story27039.asp Laois Nationalist - 2007/11/08: Mayor’s past is still under scrutiny] ]

Some residents in Portlaoise also question the claim that he suffered religious persecution in Nigeriafact|date=November 2007, based on the fact that he visited his home to accept an award for becoming Mayor of Portlaoise. [ [http://archives.tcm.ie/laoisnationalist/2007/08/30/story26618.asp Mayor made chieftain in Nigerian hometown] ]

References