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Abigail Marshall Katung

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Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Abigail Marshall Katung, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 1 December 202511 sources
Abigail Marshall Katung
Born (1975-12-07) December 7, 1975 (age 50)
Nigeria
OccupationPolitician
Years active2019–present
Known forFirst African Lord Mayor of Leeds

Abigail Marshall Katung (born 7 December 1975) is a Nigerian-British political figure and spouse of Nigerian senator Sunday Marshall Katung. Originally from Nigeria, she relocated to the United Kingdom to pursue her studies at the University of Leeds. As of January 2024, she holds a position as a governor at Leeds City College. In May 2024, she was appointed as the Lord Mayor of Leeds, becoming the first African councillor elected to this office and the second black individual, following Eileen Taylor, to assume this role. She is also the 130th person to hold the title.[1]

Career

Katung serves as co-chair of the David Oluwale Memorial Association (DOMA), an organization dedicated to honoring David Oluwale, a Nigerian immigrant whose death in 1969 led to police accountability—the only instance in UK history where state officials were successfully prosecuted for causing the death of a black individual.[2]

She was elected in May 2019 as the councillor representing Little London and Woodhouse ward,[3] marking her as the first African to secure a seat on Leeds City Council.[4] By the year 2020, she had taken on a leadership role advocating for BAME staff networks within Leeds.[5]

In 2022, Katung co-led Leeds City Council’s official ‘Food Champion’ initiative alongside Gareth Batty MBE FRSA, CEO of FareShare Yorkshire,[6] and participated as a guest at the Jordan Sinnott Memorial Award ceremony.[7]

She successfully secured re-election for her seat in Little London and Woodhouse ward in May 2023.[8]

Representing the Labour and Co-operative Party, Katung was chosen as Lord Mayor of Leeds for the term spanning 2024 to 2025 in January 2024,[9][10] making her the first African individual to occupy this prestigious role in the city.[11]

Personal life

Abigail Marshall Katung is married to Sunday Marshall Katung, a Nigerian attorney and legislator. As of 2023, the couple has twin sons, both 19 years old, whom she decided to raise in Leeds.

In 2025, Sunday Marshall Katung became entangled in a legal matter concerning a £1 million residence located in Alwoodley, Leeds. According to the National Crime Agency (NCA), a £400,000 deposit was made in 2015 for the property using money transferred from Nigeria through an informal value transfer mechanism, often referred to as a "parallel" or "black" market. Subsequently, the NCA confiscated the house as part of a £10 million civil recovery operation linked to a businessman suspected of involvement in money laundering. The High Court determined that Sunday Marshall Katung held no legal entitlement to the property, highlighting contradictions in her testimony and deeming her an unreliable witness. She was consequently ordered to cover damages and legal fees. The NCA clarified that there was no indication she had knowledge of any purported illegal activities by the former owner.

External links

  1. ↑ Connolly, James (19 January 2024). "Abigail Marshall-Katung 'honoured and humbled' to become Leeds' first African Lord Mayor". Yorkshire Evening Post. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
  2. ↑ Athwal, Harmit (18 October 2010). "The racism that kills". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  3. ↑ Akhaine, Saxone (5 May 2019). "Nigerian woman, Katung wins Leeds City Council election". The Guardian Nigeria. Kaduna. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  4. ↑ "Abigail Marshall Katung becomes 130th Lord Mayor of Leeds". Leeds City Council. 24 May 2024. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
  5. ↑ "Latest key messages from the CLT and BAME network steering group". Leeds City Council. 18 December 2020. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  6. ↑ "Leeds City Council asks public to feedback on first citywide food strategy". Leeds Star. Leeds. 21 October 2022. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  7. ↑ Lomax, Claire (22 December 2022). "Jordan Sinnott Awards inspire young people home and away". Wharfedale Observer. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
  8. ↑ Hassan-Wuyo, Ibrahim (6 May 2023). "Nigerian woman, Katung re-elected in UK Council election". Vanguard Nigeria. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  9. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named BBC
  10. ↑ Dada, Adekunle (18 January 2024). "Jubilation as Nigerian Woman Elected Lord Mayor of Leeds in United Kingdom". Legit.ng. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  11. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named RN

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