Portlaoise to elect Nigerian mayor

Ireland is set to elect its first-ever black mayor today with Nigerian Rotimi Adebari favourite to head the Portlaoise town council following a vote this afternoon.

Mr Adebari, 43, arrived in Ireland with his wife and two children seven years ago fleeing religious persecution in his homeland.

He was first elected as a councillor in Portlaoise in 2004 and is this morning on the verge of becoming mayor of the midlands hub in a Sinn Féin-Fine Gael pact.

Mr Adebari has a consultancy company training organisations in cross-cultural awareness and also works for Laois County Council co-ordinating an integration project for local immigrants.