A 56-year-old Nigerian woman living in Massachusetts has been arrested and charged by US federal authorities over allegations that she voted in two American elections despite not being a US citizen. Gladys Adaeze Okafor, who prosecutors say is a lawful permanent resident, is accused of voting in the 2022 midterm elections and the 2024 presidential primary after allegedly declaring on voter registration forms that she was a US citizen.
The case is particularly relevant to Nigerians and other immigrants living in the United States because holding a green card does not give a person the right to vote in federal elections. Under US federal law, non-citizens are generally prohibited from voting in elections for federal offices.
Okafor, who lives in Lynn, Massachusetts, was arrested on Wednesday, 16 September 2026, and charged with unlawfully voting as an alien. The US Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts said she was due to appear in federal court in Boston.
The allegations have not been proved in court. Okafor is presumed innocent unless prosecutors establish her guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
Prosecutors allege false citizenship declarations
According to federal charging documents, Okafor is a Nigerian citizen who was born in Aba, Nigeria.
Authorities say she obtained lawful permanent resident status in the United States in December 2022, but had not become a US citizen and had not applied for citizenship.
Prosecutors allege that several months before receiving permanent residency, Okafor submitted a voter registration card in July 2022.
The document included a certification stating that the person registering was a US citizen. Prosecutors say Okafor signed the form under penalty of perjury, after which the City of Lynn registered her as a voter.
She is then alleged to have cast a ballot in the 2022 midterm elections.
Federal authorities say the situation did not end there.
In October 2023, Okafor allegedly submitted another voter registration form and again selected the box identifying herself as a US citizen. Prosecutors say she later voted in the 2024 presidential primary election.
The allegations form the basis of the federal charge now before the court.
What the case means for Nigerians with green cards
The distinction between permanent residency and citizenship is important for Nigerians living in the United States.
A lawful permanent resident, commonly called a green-card holder, is permitted to live and work permanently in the US, subject to immigration law. But permanent residency is not the same as citizenship and does not provide the right to vote in federal elections.
The criminal complaint states that federal law reserves voting in federal elections to US citizens and prohibits non-citizens from casting such ballots.
This means immigrants should check their legal eligibility before completing voter registration documents or casting a ballot.
Rules concerning some local elections can differ in certain parts of the United States, but that does not change the federal prohibition relevant to the allegations in Okafor’s case. For Nigerians in the diaspora, the wider lesson is that a green card should not be treated as proof of US citizenship.
Okafor could face prison, fine and immigration consequences
If convicted of the charge she currently faces, Okafor could receive up to one year in prison, up to one year of supervised release and a fine of as much as $100,000, according to the US Attorney’s Office.
However, those are maximum penalties, not an automatic sentence.
If there is a conviction, a federal judge would decide any punishment after considering US sentencing laws and guidelines as well as the circumstances of the case.
Federal prosecutors also said Okafor may be subject to deportation after completing any sentence imposed. That possibility is not the same as an automatic deportation order and would depend on the applicable immigration process.
Assistant US Attorney Julissa Walsh of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The investigation is being handled by Homeland Security Investigations. The criminal complaint says investigators have been examining voter registration records in Massachusetts communities as part of efforts to identify possible non-citizen registration and voting.
The case also comes as US authorities increase their focus on election-related offences ahead of the 2026 midterms.
NewDailyPrime recently reported that election officials across the country were preparing for possible legal disputes, security threats, misinformation and increased federal involvement as November’s congressional elections approach.
Readers can follow further US, immigration and diaspora developments through NewDailyPrime.
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