Binta Masi Garba is a Nigerian politician, businesswoman and administrator. She served the Federal House of Representatives three times, from 1999 to 2011. She is the first politician to represent two different Federal in 2009; she was elected as the first Vice President of Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) under Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) in Cameroon. She is the only female Senator-Elect in all the 19 Northern States of Nigeria in 2015 elections. She was also, the only female delegate from Adamawa State to the National Conference in Abuja.
Between 1975 and 1981, she attended Army Children School, New Cantonment D, Hayin Banki, Kaduna. From there she proceeded for her Secondary School Education and obtained her (GCE/WAEC ‘O’ Level) in Government Day School, Kurmin Mashi, Kaduna South, Kaduna, between 1981 and 1987. She attended Kaduna Polytechnic and obtained Ordinary National Diploma (OND Marketing, 1990) and Higher National Diploma (HND Marketing, 1997).
In 2004, she went to Harvard Kennedy School of Government – Harvard University (Public Financial Management). She holds two Diplomas in Theology from the Bible School of Church Growth and Practical Ministry, and Matthew Owujaye’s Ministry, Kaduna. She is a recipient of an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Theology from Smith Christian University, Miami, Florida.
Binta Masi Garba started her political career in the year 1998 in Kaduna, Nigeria and she always advocated for women rights; thus prompting her to take up the mandate to represent women in the Federal House of representative Kaduna South Federal Constituency.
In 2006, close to the end of her second term in the Federal House of Representatives, the then Governor of Adamawa State, Boni Haruna, having heard of her excellent performance as a legislator representing Kaduna South, entreated her to come back to her State of origin, Adamawa State, and contest.
After making consultations, she consented and came down to contest for House of Representatives in Madagali/Michika Federal Constituency under PDP. She eventually won the seat and represented the constituency from 2007 to 2011. After the 2011 election a film, “Dreams for Nigeria”, was made by the International Republican Institute about leading female Nigerian politicians and Garba was one of the women chosen. The other women were Hon. Suleiman Oba Nimota, Adamawa State; Hon. Saudatu Sani, Kaduna State; Hon. Titi Akindahunsi, Ekiti State, Hon. Maimuna Adaji, Kwara State, Hon. Florence Akinwale, Ekiti State and Hon. Beni Lar, Plateau State.
After her third consecutive tenure in the Federal House of Assembly, she re-contested and lost against Titsi Ganama.
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) under the Chairmanship of Bamanga Tukur had serious leadership crisis and a new faction emerged in 2013. The new faction of the PDP was under the Chairmanship of Abubakar Kawu Baraje. The new faction was called the new PDP (nPDP).
Binta Masi Garba was appointed the Woman leader of the nPDP. She later joined All Progressives Congress (APC) alongside Governor Murtala Nyako and other Governors. She contested and emerged as the chairman of the Adamawa state chapter of APC. The victory at the poll made her the first female state chairman of a registered major political party in Nigeria.
The controversies surrounding the election of the Adamawa state chapter of APC executives election almost wrecked the party. Binta Masi Garba fought hard to unite the party in Adamawa state. She oversaw one of the most successful party primaries in Adamawa state as a seating chairman of the Adamawa state chapter of APC. She was given a waiver to contest for the senate seat in the party primaries and she eventually emerged victorious against her male contender. On 28 May 2015, she won the senate seat of Adamawa north senatorial district by winning in 3 local government areas of the 5 LGAs in the zone.
