Dr. Gbenga Hashim, the Accord Party's presidential candidate, has disclosed that his late father, Alhaji Hashim Abdullahi Yauri, deliberately kept his royal Hausa identity a secret from him for almost three decades. According to Hashim, his father took this decision after receiving a warning from an Islamic cleric about potential dangers within the royal family. The cleric advised Hashim's father against exposing his child's identity prematurely, prompting him to relocate and raise Hashim in the Borgu Emirate under a different identity.
Hashim, who was named Abdulmalik at birth, grew up in a Yoruba cultural environment, largely removed from his Hausa traditions and royal connections. He was raised by his stepfather, Julius Bamidele Olawepo, after his father, a young police officer at the time, sent him away for his protection. Hashim's father, popularly known as "Zaki" the Lion, was a highly influential police officer who rose to become a Police Commissioner and Commandant of the Police College, Kaduna. He was widely respected across Northern Nigeria for his courage, discipline, strength, and commanding personality.
Hashim's story is detailed in Chapter 13 of his forthcoming autobiography, Sunrise At Midnight. The chapter provides an account of his childhood, his father's decision, and the eventual discovery of the heritage that had been deliberately kept from him. Hashim said that discovering his Hausa and Yauri heritage did not diminish the Yoruba cultural environment in which he was raised. Instead, it gave him a deeper understanding of the different cultural and historical strands that shaped his identity.
Hashim's paternal grandfather, Seriki Abdullahi Jibril, popularly known as Maiy Yauri, was one of the prominent traditional rulers of Northern Nigeria in his era. He was part of a generation of educated Northern royals who combined traditional authority with modern education, administration, and commerce. According to Hashim, Seriki Jibril, the 40th ruler of Yauri, was distinguished by his knowledge of finance and trade, financial prudence, transparency, and commitment to education.
Hashim's grandfather was honoured with the Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) during the colonial period. British records portrayed him as an unusually independent traditional ruler who, during the Second World War, exercised a degree of administrative autonomy that distinguished him from many of his contemporaries. Hashim said his father's decision to keep his royal lineage secret was an act of protection, and his story is ultimately about family, sacrifice, identity, heritage, and the strange ways in which history can remain hidden for decades before finding its way back into a person's life.
Hashim has previously spoken publicly about his unusual childhood. He was born in Yelwa, Yauri, in 1969, and recently paid tribute to his late father, describing him as a highly influential police officer. Hashim and his siblings recently marked the 30th anniversary of their father's passing with commemorative advertisements in major Nigerian newspapers. For Hashim, the story of his father is inseparable from the story of his own identity.
Hashim's account takes him further back into the history of his paternal family, providing insights into the life of his grandfather and the cultural environment that shaped his identity. His story highlights the complexities of identity, culture, and family history, and how they can intersect in complex ways.
Key points
- Dr. Gbenga Hashim's father kept his royal Hausa identity a secret for 27 years for protection.
- Hashim's story is about family, sacrifice, identity, heritage, and the discovery of hidden history.
- Hashim's grandfather was a prominent traditional ruler and a recipient of the Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE).
