By Ghazali Ibrahim
A 56-year-old Nigerian woman, Gladys Adaeze Okafor, has been arrested and charged in Massachusetts, United States, for allegedly voting in US elections despite not being a US citizen.
According to the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts, Okafor, who lives in Lynn, allegedly voted in the 2022 midterm elections and the 2024 presidential primary.
Prosecutors said Okafor, who was born in Aba, Nigeria, obtained lawful permanent resident status in December 2022 but had not become a US citizen or applied for citizenship.
The authorities alleged that she first registered to vote in July 2022, signing a declaration that she was a US citizen. She allegedly registered again in October 2023, again declaring herself a US citizen, before voting in the 2024 presidential primary.
Okafor was arrested on Wednesday and charged with unlawfully voting as an alien. If convicted, the offence carries up to one year in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $100,000. She could also face deportation after completing any sentence imposed.
The US Attorney’s Office stressed that the allegations contained in the charging documents have not been proven in court and that Okafor is presumed innocent unless found guilty.
