Austin Chenge, 34, a Nigerian-American, in the US Republican Party is challenging Rep Lamar Smith in the race for the governorship of Michigan by 2022.
Head of Media and Public Relations unit, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abdul-Rahman Balogun, described Chenge as a Nigerian from Benue.
Chenge began his ove as far back as March, making him the first aspirant so far.
Balogun in a statement said Chenge is popular locally for designing the popular tricycle, known as “Wazobia tricycle”, in 2016, designed to improve the lives of peasant farmers all over Africa.
“Chenge is a Law graduate from the University of Birmingham, England. Since the year 2018, he has been serving with the US military as a specialist. He is a decorated with the Achievement Medal as a Distinguished Honour Graduate with a Culmulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 99.8% and for exceptional performance while on active duty,” it added.
“Austin has always stunned critics by achieving what others consider impossible. A graduate of the School of Law at the University of Birmingham England, Austin raised over $200,000 in funding for his first startup, Holla@Me/Holla.com (now sold) in England and soon expanded to San Jose in California.
“He created Waving in a social networking environment in 2011, a concept later seen on Facebook’ Wave. In 2016 his tricycle design (termed Wazobia tricycle) aimed at improving the lives of peasant farmers, made history in the West African nation of Nigeria as the first designed, engineered and manufactured by a person of Nigerian descent. Since 2018, he has served as a Specialist in the US Army, where he has been decorated with an Army Achievement Medal as Distinguished Honor Graduate with a CGPA of 99.8% and for exceptional performance while on Active duty.
“As of March, 2020 Austin became the first Republican Candidate for Governor of Michigan, for the 2022 election,” a biography on Chenge’s website added.