NIGERIAN-BORN SHIRLEY EMEHELU BECOMES NEW JERSEY’S FIRST IMMIGRANT LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR

Nigerian-born lawyer Shirley U. Emehelu has been appointed Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey, becoming the first immigrant to hold the position.

Governor Mikie Sherrill announced her appointment on Monday, making Emehelu the state’s fifth lieutenant governor. For the first time, women now occupy New Jersey’s two highest executive offices simultaneously.

Emehelu, who moved from Nigeria to the United States as a child, will also serve as Secretary of State.

She was sworn in by Chief Justice Stuart Rabner at the Statehouse in Trenton, with her husband and children taking part in the ceremony.

Sherrill said Emehelu’s experience fighting financial crime, protecting consumers and tackling government waste made her well suited to the role. She also praised her leadership overseeing recent elections as Acting Secretary of State.

Accepting the appointment, Emehelu said protecting people and ensuring accountability had shaped her career.

“I’ve spent my career upholding the law, protecting families, and rooting out fraud, abuse, and corruption,” she said.

She also reflected on the significance of her background.

“As a Black woman and Nigerian American, I’m proud of what this appointment represents for our state, and especially for the communities that share my heritage,” she said.

Emehelu pledged to support efforts to address living costs, expand economic opportunities and make government more responsive to residents.

Her previous roles include Acting State Comptroller and Executive Assistant Attorney General. She also spent nine years as a federal prosecutor in New Jersey, handling financial fraud cases and later leading asset recovery and anti-money-laundering work.

A graduate of Yale University and Yale Law School, she has also worked in private practice and served as a federal judicial clerk.

Her appointment follows Dale Caldwell’s resignation in September amid allegations of misconduct and ethics violations, which he disputed.

Emehelu said she hoped her appointment would encourage young people to pursue public service and “make a little history of their own too.”