Sen. Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia: 60 Years of Grace, Service and Courage

By Ibrahim Kaula Mohammed

How do you describe a man who has worn many caps, polo champion, banker, Attorney General, SSG, Deputy Governor twice, Senator, and now Deputy Chief of Staff, yet never lost his humanity? Look no further, that man is no other person than Senator Ibrahim Hadejia, Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Office of the Vice President.

He is the worthy son of my mentor, the late Alhaji Hassan Hadejia, the Shettiman Hadejia. A father figure, a veteran polo player, and a man who played the game with greats like the late General Hassan Usman Katsina. The apple, indeed, did not fall far from the tree.

I first knew Senator Hadejia not in politics, but on the polo field, in those glorious years of polo in Nigeria. He was a prominent figure, a star player for the Ranchers Stallions, the team owned by the late polo promoter and multi-millionaire, Senator Ahmed Aruwa of blessed memory. His team went on to win the Georgian Cup, unarguably the most prestigious trophy in the Nigerian polo circuit. He rode with grace, he played with courage, and he won with honour.

From the polo field, he moved to the banking sector, and from there, he answered the higher call of public service. He was appointed Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice under Governor Saminu Turaki, and from that moment, his rise was meteoric. He became Deputy Governor twice, and later, a distinguished Senator of the Federal Republic.

As a Senator, he was always in our office at SMEDAN, not as a distant leader, but as a good friend to my principal Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, who was then the Agency’s Director-General/CEO, and a man who carried himself with humility and accessibility. That is who he is, a leader who never forgets his people.

When President Bola Ahmed Tinubu assumed office in 2023, he was appointed Deputy Chief of Staff, Office of the Vice President, a position he has handled very well, spearheading the good works of the Renewed Hope administration with loyalty, competence and uncommon dedication.

As he clocked 61 yesterday, I join family, friends and well-wishers to celebrate a life of impact, a life of service, and a life of legacy. May he continue to serve the nation well, and may he contribute even more to the development of his state and Nigeria at large.