After the 2019 elections, young, cerebral female politician, Khadijah Abdullahi-Iya’s plan was to sit and observe another electoral process and learn, with her mind and soul, the dynamics of what it means to be in politics. During the last election, Khadijah was an active player in the politics of her home State, Niger and the entire country as a whole. She was the running mate to Fela Durotoye who flew the flag of the Alliance For New Nigeria, ANN. The experience she garnered then was mixed.
As the process for the 2023 began, she chose to take a back seat and ready to work in the background for anyone she thinks has the best intentions. But some friends, myriads of youths who formed the fulcrum of her supporters’ base think otherwise. And instead of ducking under the sheets and thinking that this is not her problem, she acquiesces and holds the bull by the horns again. Khadijah picked the ticket of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA as its Gubernatorial Candidate in Niger State in the coming general elections in 2023.
As expected, there has been this rankled feeling of ‘How Dare You’ that permeates the air in the state frowned at her effrontery as a woman. Yet there was also a delighted bunch of people especially at the grassroots who are elated that a woman can change the course of their lives and intrigued at how this race was challenging the status quo. And Khadijah is not ready to betray that trust as she has intensified her campaign to slug it out with the candidates of the bigger parties of the incumbent All Progressives Congress (APC) and the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Khadijah is a lawyer by profession. She has an LLB degree from the University of Abuja and Masters in Law & Diplomacy from the University of Jos. With nearly 15 years experience in humanitarian and community outreach programmes, Khadijah sits on the Board of some companies and has founded several social enterprises and businesses. She is married to the former Deputy Director of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Alhaji Haruna Dalhatu Iya.