Labour slams racist abuse of its Galway West bye-election runner
The Labour Party has condemned the “horrendous” racist abuse directed at its Galway West bye-election candidate.
Racist trolling online of Galway City Councillor Helen Ogbu has intensified since she was selected to contest the bye-election for Labour earlier this year.
Councillor Ogbu is a Nigerian-born Irish citizen, who has lived and worked in Galway for more than two decades.
If elected in May’s bye-election, she would become the first black person to represent Galway in Dáil Éireann, but her online campaign has been dogged by racist commentary, often from anonymous accounts on social media.
The Labour Party confirmed to the Galway City Tribune that it was aware of the racist abuse being directed at Councillor Ogbu, who is the first person of colour to be elected to a local authority in Galway, when she won a seat in City East in the 2024 Local Elections to Galway City Council.
“It is deeply disappointing, but unfortunately not surprising, that a candidate putting herself forward for public office is being subjected to this kind of treatment.
“Helen has conducted her campaign with integrity, warmth and a clear focus on the issues that matter to people in Galway West,” a spokesperson for Labour said in a statement to this newspaper.
Party headquarters confirmed it was “actively monitoring and reporting racist and abusive content using the available online tools, and we will continue to do so”.
“There is no place in Irish public life for racism or intimidation, and we take any instance of it seriously,” it added.
Sources in the Labour Party in Dublin described the vitriol directed at Councillor Ogbu as “horrendous”.
Some party colleagues in Galway said that the negative commentary with racist connotations was relentless online.
“She is getting hammered (with racist comments) but we are not commenting on it because that’s what these trolls want,” they said.
Councillor Ogbu held a senior position in diplomatic circles in her native Nigeria, working directly with the High Commissioner’s office.
However, in 2005 she arrived in Galway with her daughter seeking refuge from political violence and intimidation and was a resident at the Eglinton Direct Provision Centre in Salthill.
She fled Africa after her husband, a politician, was assassinated for his commitment to democracy.
Councillor Ogbu currently works for Galway Volunteer Centre and has volunteered and worked for many organisations, including ARD Family Resource Centre and the Galway Rape Crisis Centre.
She unsuccessfully contested the last General Election in Galway West for Labour, a former stronghold for the party.
Since her election to City Hall, Councillor Ogbu has advocated for a tourist bedroom tax, improved social and affordable housing, better public transport links, and improved playground facilities.
Her campaign manager locally is City Central Councillor John McDonagh and her Director of Elections is Wexford TD George Lawlor.