Accolades keep pouring in for the new Lord Mayor of Leeds, Nigerian woman Abigail Marshall Katung, who was officially sworn in at a council meeting a few days ago.
Katung takes over the role from Al Garthwaite to become the city’s 130th lord mayor and the first person of African descent to hold the position.
She is the wife of Nigerian Senator Sunday Marshall Katung, representing Kaduna South Senatorial District.
On Tuesday, the Senator officially informed his colleagues at the Nigerian Senate of his wife’s inauguration as the Lord Mayor of Leeds, and thanked the leadership of the Senate for their support.
On his official X account some days ago, the Nigerian senator wrote, “My darling wife @abigailmashall, as I watched you take your oath and accept your title as Lord Mayor of the city of Leeds, England… my heart was bursting with pride and love for you. Your ascension to the realm of city governance, as its 130th Lord Mayor, is a testament to your unwavering dedication, unparalleled leadership, and tireless service to the people.
“The way you’ve always fought for our communities and put others first makes you so deserving of this honour. I do not doubt that under your stewardship, Leeds City will flourish, and our communal fabric will be knitted tighter. As your Lord Mayor Consort, I can’t wait to continue to support you and be by your side as we embark on this new chapter together.”
Following her official swearing in on Saturday, other prominent Nigerian leaders joined to applaud Katung’s election, including a former Nigerian vice president, Atiku Abubakar.
In a post of his official X account, Abubakar wrote, “The elevation of Councillor Abigail Marshall Katung as the Lord Mayor of Leeds City is a testament that Nigeria is not short of talents and excel wherever they may find themselves. I congratulate Abigail Marshall Katung, the 130th Lord Mayor of Leeds City, the first person of African descent to hold this enviable position and the husband, Senator Sunday Marshall Katung, Senator representing Kaduna South Senatorial District. May her tenure be impactful.”
Responding on Tuesday, the new Lord Mayor of Leeds, wrote, “His Excellency Sir, I am truly honoured and grateful for your kind words. I promise to give my new role my best. Thank you for the support.”
She also thanked Labour Party presidential candidate during the 2023 Nigerian presidential elections, Peter Obi, for honouring her with his congratulatory post.
“I sincerely congratulate a Nigerian-British politician, Mrs Abigail Marshall Katung, who emerged as the first African Lord Mayor of Leeds in the United Kingdom and has been officially sworn in as the 130th lord mayor of Leeds,” Obi wrote on his official X account.
Katung, who was born in Zaria, Kaduna State, and moved to the UK for studies at the University of Leeds, said, “Since arriving in Leeds in 2000, the city quickly became my cherished second home. It was not just the city where I lived, studied and worked, it’s where I chose to raise my children and become a public servant.”
“My appointment as lord mayor has been widely celebrated in the city’s African community and is a shining example of the enormous contribution international students make to UK society. As lord mayor of Leeds, I am committed to working tirelessly to ensure voices are heard from all areas of the city and every triumph is recognised and celebrated.”
