Accord Party presidential candidate, Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has revealed that his late father concealed his Hausa and Yauri royal heritage from him for 27 years. Olawepo-Hashim said his father, Alhaji Hashim Abdullahi Yauri, made the decision after an Islamic cleric reportedly warned of possible dangers within the royal family.

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According to the presidential hopeful, the warning prompted his father to relocate him to the Borgu Emirate, where he was raised under a different identity. Although he was named Abdulmalik at birth, Olawepo-Hashim grew up largely within a Yoruba cultural environment, unaware of the full history of his paternal lineage. He described his father’s decision as an act of protection, saying, “For 27 years, I lived without knowing the full story of who I was.”

Olawepo-Hashim also paid tribute to his father, a former police officer who rose to the rank of Commissioner of Police and served as Commandant of the Police College in Kaduna. He described his grandfather, Seriki Jibril, the 40th ruler of Yauri, as a respected traditional leader known for his interest in education, finance and administration.

The Accord candidate said discovering his Hausa and Yauri roots did not erase his Yoruba upbringing but gave him a fuller understanding of the cultural identities and family history that shaped his life.