….From Classroom Teacher to Statesman
….Issued by the Northern Senators Forum
By Haruna Salami
“Today, the 8th of August 2026, the Northern Senators Forum joins millions of Nigerians to celebrate a detribalised Nigerian, a teacher, a banker, a governor, a senator, a party leader, and above all, a statesman, Senator Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi, as he marks his 70th birthday.
Baba, your journey embodies the very best of public service, humility, and enduring impact.
You began as a classroom teacher and part-time lecturer in the Department of Accounting at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria from 1987 to 1993. Even then, you were shaping minds and building the future. From the lecture halls, you moved to the boardroom, rising to Assistant General Manager at Nigeria Universal Bank, and later serving with distinction as Honorable Commissioner of Finance in Kaduna State.
In 1999, the people of Kaduna called you to a higher duty. You answered. As Governor of Kaduna State from 1999 to 2007, you provided steady and courageous leadership during turbulent times. Your tenure laid enduring foundations in governance, peace-building, and development that Kaduna State continues to build upon.
The nation called again. From 2007 to 2015, you represented Kaduna North Senatorial District in the 6th and 7th Senate of the Federal Republic. In the red chamber, you brought the same calm intellect, depth, and commitment to nation-building that defined your years as governor. You were a voice of reason, stability, and legislative diligence.
And when your party, the Peoples Democratic Party PDP, faced its greatest test, you stood up. As National Chairman, you held the center. You stabilized, you reconciled, and you reminded us that politics must be about people, about institutions, and about country — not just power.
At 70, you are rightly honoured as a detribalised Nigerian. Your name and your work are celebrated not only in Makarfi, not only in Kaduna, but across every corner of our country. In every responsibility you have handled: in the classroom, in banking, in the State House, in the Senate, and at the national secretariat of a major political party, you have impacted lives and left institutions better than you met them.
As you enter this season of elder statesmanship, the Northern Senators Forum prays that Allah continues to grant you guidance, wisdom, strength, and good health. May He make you a burden-bearer and a counselor for the next generation of leaders. Nigeria still needs your voice, calm in crisis, firm in principle, and generous in counsel.
On behalf of all members of the Northern Senators Forum, we celebrate you today and pray that your new decade will be your most impactful yet.
Happy 70th Birthday, Senator Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi.
God bless you. God bless Northern Nigeria. God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Signed
Senator Abdulaziz Musa Yar’adua
Chairman, Northern Senators Forum”.
