Labour Party leader Ivana Bacik and other party officials repeatedly shared inaccurate information about the backstory of Helen Ogbu, the newly elected Mayor of Galway, including when she moved to Ireland and the circumstances surrounding her husband's death. The inaccuracies were disseminated through party communications, social media, and Ms. Ogbu's own website during a by-election campaign.
An investigation revealed that Ms. Ogbu's personal website stated she moved to Ireland in 2006 seeking safety and a fresh start "after the tragic loss of my husband." However, her husband was murdered in Nigeria in 2010, and she arrived in Ireland in 2005. The website was later taken down.
Despite the factual discrepancy, party members, including Ms. Bacik and TDs Ciarán Ahern and George Lawlor, shared variations of the incorrect narrative. In January 2026, Ms. Bacik emailed party members stating Ms. Ogbu came to Ireland in 2006 "following the assassination" of her husband. A Labour Party newsletter circulated days later also made a similar false claim. A campaign video shared by Mr. Ahern in April 2026 claimed Ms. Ogbu came to Ireland "after" her husband's murder.
Amidst the controversy, the Labour Party's explanations for the error have varied. Initially, the party described the inaccuracy on Ms. Ogbu's website as a "typo" and claimed it was corrected after coming to their attention. Later, Labour TD George Lawlor blamed a "party volunteer" for the error, acknowledging it was "not their finest hour" but maintaining it was not a falsehood. Ms. Ogbu herself stated the inaccuracy was due to "human error" and "incompetence" by the private company that set up her website, which she claimed she was unable to edit. She also indicated the party had noticed the error "last year" and had been unable to change it.
The Irish Daily Mail contacted the Labour Party and Ms. Ogbu on June 26, 2026, regarding the discrepancy. Ms. Ogbu's website was removed on June 27. On June 29, the party issued a statement taking "full responsibility" for the "typo," asserting that Ms. Ogbu had consistently provided truthful accounts of her husband's murder.
However, archived versions of Ms. Ogbu's website from May 2025 indicate the claim about arriving in Ireland "after" her husband's death predates the party's discovery of the error. Furthermore, a news report from an African broadcaster posted by Ms. Ogbu on her YouTube account in February 2025 states she "fled to Ireland in 2005 after her husband was murdered." In contrast, a report from Igbo Area TV last week stated Ms. Ogbu left Nigeria in 2006 after her husband was murdered.
Ms. Ogbu was elected Mayor of Galway on June 19, 2026. She had previously been elected as a councillor in the 2024 local elections. She finished third in the Galway West by-election, receiving 5,462 first preference votes.