User:Kambai Akau/Abigail Marshall Katung

Abigail Wok Marshall Katung (born in December 1973) is a Nigerian-British politician and wife of the senator representing the Kaduna South senatorial district, Kaduna State, Nigeria, Sunday Marshall Katung. She was born and bred in Nigeria, but moved to the UK to study in the University of Leeds and as of January 2024 is anl governor at the Leeds City College and the Lord mayor of Leeds. She is the first elected African councillor to hold the council position.

Career
In 2008, she founded the David Oluwale Memorial Association (DOMA) in memory of David Oluwale, a Nigerian migrant to the UK who arrived Leeds in 1949, but got drowned in River Aire in 1969 with two British police officers held responsible for his death. In November 1971, the prosecution of those police officers made it the first and only time any prosecution for the death of a black person would be successfully carried out against state officials. She is also a co-chair of DOMA.

In May 2019 following the Leeds City Council elections, Katung won in the polls to emerge the Little London and Woodhouse Ward representative.

As of 2020, she was a lead member for the BAME and a BAME staff network member champion in Leeds.

In 2022, she co-chaired Leeds City Council’s official ‘Food Champion’ alongside the CEO of FareShare Yorkshire, Gareth Batty MBE FRSA.

After serving an initial term, she contested again and won the Little London and Woodhouse election in May 2023.

During the Easter of 2023, she was in attendance at the Church of All Souls, Leeds alongside fellow councillors Kayleigh Brooks and Javaid Akhtar together Mother Helen.

In January 2024, she became the Lord mayor of Leeds under the Labour and Co-operative Party, succeeding Al Garthwaite. Her election is for the 2024/2025 term. Katung is the first elected African in the council of Leeds.

Personal life
Katung is married to Nigerian lawyer and lawmaker, Sunday Marshall Katung. As of 2023, the couple have two 19 year-old twin sons whom, according to her, she chose to bring up in Leeds.