Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim Reveals Hidden Royal Identity

Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, a residential candidate of the Accord Party, disclosed that his Hausa royal identity was kept secret from him for about three decades. His late father, Alhaji Hashim Abdullahi Yauri, received a warning from an Islamic cleric regarding potential dangers within the royal family, leading him to decide to protect his son by concealing his heritage.

Consequently, Olawepo-Hashim was raised in the Borgu Emirate under a different identity, growing up in a Yoruba cultural environment and unaware of his royal lineage. Born Abdulmalik in 1969 in Yelwa, Yauri, he was raised by his stepfather, Julius Bamidele Olawepo.

He described his father, a respected police officer who became a Police Commissioner and Commandant of the Police College in Kaduna, as a figure of strength and discipline. Olawepo-Hashim also reflected on his grandfather, Seriki Abdullahi Jibril, the 40th Seriki of Yauri, who was known for his financial prudence and commitment to education.