Bashir Dalhatu (born 12 November 1949), titled Wazirin Dutse, is a Nigerian aristocrat, statesman and lawyer . He was a politician who served in the Interim National Government as Minister of Transport and Aviation in 1993; in General

Sani Abacha Sani Abacha (; (20 September 1943 – 8 June 1998) was a Nigerian military dictator and statesman who ruled Nigeria with an iron fist as military head of state from 1993 following a palace coup d'état until his death in 1998. Abacha's seiz ...

's government as Minister of Power and Steel from 1993 to 1997 and

Minister of Internal Affairs An interior minister (sometimes called a minister of internal affairs or minister of home affairs) is a cabinet official position that is responsible for internal affairs, such as public security, civil registration and identification, emergency ...

from 1997 to 1998.

Biography

Bashir Dalhatu was born in Dutse on November 12, 1949. He attended Rumfa College, Kano from 1963 to 1967. In 1972, he received a

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...

law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior, with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been variously described as a science and as the ar ...

from the

Ahmadu Bello University The Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) is a public research university located in Zaria, Nigeria, Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria. It was opened in 1962 as the University of Northern Nigeria. The university has four colleges, three schools, 18 faculties, ...

Zaria Zaria is a List of Nigerian cities by population, metropolitan city in Nigeria, located at present time within four local government areas in Kaduna State. It serves as the capital of the Zazzau Emirate Council and is one of the original sev ...

, and was subsequently

called to the bar The call to the bar is a legal term of art in most common law jurisdictions where persons must be qualified to be allowed to argue in court on behalf of another party and are then said to have been "called to the bar" or to have received "call to ...

in 1973 before later studying law in London. He served in the Government of Kano State in various ministries: the Kano State Ministry of Works and Survey and Ministry of Agriculture, before later becoming state counsel in the Ministry of Justice. He later founded a private practice B. M. Dalhatu & Co. in Kano. In 1993, Dalhatu served in the Interim National Government as the Secretary of Transport and Aviation. He also served in

's government as Minister of Power and Steel from 1993 to 1997; and

from 1997 to 1998, and later married Abacha's daughter. In 2018, he was promoted from Walin Dutse, to succeed his brother Muktar Muhammed as the Waziri (chief adviser to the Emir) of the

Dutse Emirate Dutse Emirate is a historical emirate council in Jigawa State, Nigeria. It traces its origins back to legends of early hunters and has been influenced by various rulers and events. The emirate's history includes connections to the List of rulers ...

. Dalhatu is also the honorary consul to Tunisia.

Political interests

He was elected into the 1978 constituent assembly that produced the 1979 Constitution. At the conclusion of the assembly, he became one of the founding members of the

National Party of Nigeria The National Party of Nigeria (NPN) was the dominant political party in Nigeria during the Second Republic (1979–1983). History Formation The party's beginning could be traced to private and sometimes secret meetings among key Northern Nigeri ...

where, between 1979 and 1983, he was the assistant national legal advisor, Kano State assistant secretary, and state secretary. He was later an executive member of the National Republican Convention and chairman of the Think Tank of the Presidential Campaign. He later became a founding member of the Peoples Democratic Party, before leaving to contest Governor of Jigawa State under the

All Nigeria Peoples Party The All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) was a political party in Nigeria. The ANPP was a household party in the extreme north of Nigeria, primarily due to its mass appeal among more religious voters. It was the strongest opposition party, controllin ...

. In 2006, in opposition to

Olusegun Obasanjo Chief Olusegun Matthew Okikiola Ogunboye Aremu Obasanjo (; ; born 5 March 1937) is a Nigerian former army general, politician and statesman who served as Nigeria's head of state from 1976 to 1979 and later as its president from 1999 to 200 ...

, Dalhatu founded the Advanced Congress of Democrats, before later merging the party with the

Action Congress of Nigeria The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), formerly known as Action Congress (AC), was a Nigerian political party formed via the merger from the coming together of a faction of Alliance for Democracy, the Justice Party, the Advance Congress of D ...

, where he was the national secretary until resigning in 2007, after the party refused to join

Umaru Yar'Adua Umaru Musa Yar'Adua (; 16 August 19515 May 2010) was a Nigerian politician who served as the president of Nigeria from 2007 until his death in May 2010. He won the Nigerian presidential election held on 21 April 2007, and was sworn in on 29 Ma ...

's government. In July 2023, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) appointed Dalhatu as Board of Trustees Chairman. The ACF is an association that promotes the political interests of people of Northern Nigeria.

Business

He is the Vice Chairman of Freedom Radio Nigeria, one of the most popular stations in Northern Nigeria. He became the Chairman of the New Nigeria Development Corporation in 2015. He is also the Chairman of Highland Waters and Marketing Limited. He was a Member, Board of Directors at

Nigerian Ports Authority The Nigerian Ports Authority (''NPA'') is a federal government agency that governs and operates the ports of Nigeria. The major ports controlled by the NPA include: the Lagos Port Complex and Tin Can Island Port in Lagos; Calabar Port, Delta ...

and a member of both the

Nigerian Bar Association The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) is a non-profit, umbrella professional association of lawyers admitted to the Bar by the Council of Legal Education in Nigeria. It is engaged in the promotion and protection of human rights, the rule of law and ...

as well as the

International Bar Association The International Bar Association (IBA), founded in 1947, is a bar association of international legal practitioners, bar associations and law societies. The IBA in 2018 had a membership of more than 80,000 individual lawyers and 190 bar associati ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dalhatu, Bashir 1949 births Living people People from Jigawa State Rumfa College alumni Ahmadu Bello University alumni

Biography

Political interests

Business

See also

References