Fashion designer, community leader, mother of three… meet the woman who truncated Hembe’s legislative journey

Herman Hembe may return to the battlefield in 2019 but for now, Dorothy Mato, a trained fashion designer has cut short his journey in the house of representatives.

On Friday, the supreme court ordered that Hembe should be replaced with Mato, who was declared the winner of the 2015 primary election of the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election in Vandeikya/Konshisha federal constituency.

The apex court also ordered Hembe to refund the salaries and allowances he had collected within 90 days.

Hembe was elected into the house on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2007, he was re-elected in 2011 on the platform of the PDP, but defected to the APC in 2015 where he won his bid for a third term.

The woman who will replace him was a member of the state house of assembly, representing Kyan constituency between 2011 and 2015. She was a member of the then Action Congress (AC), one of the legacy parties that formed the APC.

She was born on 16 September 1968 and once trained as a fashion designer at Nikky Africana in Lagos.

She had her primary education at R.C.M. Primary School, Chenge, in Vandeikya local government and left in 1979.

She then went to Mbagba High School, Mbamngu for her West African Senior School Certificate. She graduated in 2002.  This was after her training in fashion design.

In 1987, she got married to Ahura Mato, with whom she now has three children.

In 2006, Mato obtained a diploma in public administration at the Benue State Polytechnic, Ugbokolo.

She later went to Fidei Polytechnic, Gboko, to earn a higher national diploma certificate in business administration in 2010.  While a member of the state Assembly, she also earned a PGD in Business Management at the University of Mkar, a private Christian institution established by the Church of Christ in Sudan.

She was a former deputy chairman of Vandeikya local government council and also supervisory councillor, revenue generation in 2008.

Between 2008 and 2010, Mato was special assistant on women affairs to Gabriel Suswam, former governor of Benue.

She joined the Action Congress in 2011, where she ran for election as a member of the state assembly and won.

Last year, she spoke about her idea of what politics should be.

“I see politics as an instrument for social & structural change. Although the African perspective is that of a do-or-die procedure,” she said.

“It is pertinent to know that politics is all encompassing, it is about the use of a process for societal upliftment. I strongly encourage general participation in political processes, especially for the youths and fellow women to alienate ourselves from the process will amount to negating our fundamental constitutional responsibilities.”

Outside of politics, Dorothy is a businesswoman, a community leader and mobiliser.

She is at present president, Tiv Women Traders Association, Gboko branch. She is also the president, De-compatible Sisters, a Women Mobilization, social/Cultural Club.

She is reputed for her generous contribution to community development projects at local and state levels.