London Mayor Elections: Sadiq Khan Re-Elected; YouTube Prankster Niko Omilana Stands 5th With 50,000 Votes For ‘Vibes’

Niko Omilana, best known for comedy videos and pranks on YouTube, stood as the highest-ranking independent candidate, coming in fifth overall at the polls. He received nearly 50,000 votes, which is 2 per cent of the total votes polled. 

Image: Twitter

London: The race for London mayor has finally come to an end as Sadiq Khan has been elected for the post for the second time.  The 50-year-old politician from the main opposition Labour party won the second stint at City Hall with victory over Conservative rival Shaun Bailey.

Khan received 1,013,721 votes in first  preference votes while Conservative candidate Shaun Bailey received 893,05. In the second preference votes, Khan got 192,313 and Bailey 84,550, making Khan the Mayor for second term. Khan, son of Pakistani immigrant bus driver, became the first Muslim mayor of a Western capital when initially elected in 2016.

However, the highlight of the day was a British YouTube prankster who was the highest-ranking independent candidate, coming in fifth overall at the polls. Niko Omilana, best known for comedy videos and pranks on YouTube, received nearly 50,000 votes, which is 2 per cent of the total votes polled. 

Niko successfully beat several popular independent rivals including actor Laurence Fox, Piers Corbyn and Richard Hewison.

After elections concluded, Niko a self-proclaimed Supreme Leader of the Niko Defence League (NDL), took to the Twitter saying "I will not stop until the whole country is run with vibes." 

Earlier, in an ITV news segment, when candidates were asked to summarise their campaign in two words, they went for more predictable slogans such as 'creating equality', 'restoring hope' and 'independent voice' while Omilana said - 'for vibes'.