Aminu Imam
The Sardaunan Sokoto and former Minister of Finance, Alhaji Abubakar Alhaji, has died.
A family source confirmed to newsmen that the elder statesman died on Thursday morning at a hospital in Abuja after a prolonged illness. “He passed away this morning in an Abuja hospital after a prolonged illness”, the source said.
Until his death, Alhaji held the revered traditional title of Sardaunan Sokoto. A member of the Sokoto Caliphate royal family, the late Alhaji had a distinguished career in Nigeria’s public service, serving under several administrations.
He joined the Federal Civil Service in 1964 and rose through the ranks to become a Permanent Secretary, serving in key ministries, including Finance, Trade and National Planning.
Former military President Ibrahim Babangida later appointed him Minister of State for Budget and Planning in 1988 before he became Minister of Finance between 1990 and 1991. Alhaji also served as Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom in the mid-1990s.
He was turbaned as the Sardaunan Sokoto in 1990, succeeding the late Sir Ahmadu Bello, who held the title until his assassination in 1966. He was also the elder brother of the late Aliyu Dasuƙi.
