ABUJA, Nigeria – President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has expressed profound sorrow over the death of Hafidh Ameir Hassan, the husband of Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan, extending condolences to the government and people of the East African nation, the State House announced in Abuja on Monday, September 7, 2026.
The message of condolence followed the passing of the 76-year-old Tanzanian First Gentleman, who died on Monday morning while receiving treatment for a heart-related ailment at a hospital facility in Zanzibar City.
Okay News reports that in a personal tribute released on Monday evening, President Tinubu conveyed deep fraternal empathy to his Tanzanian counterpart, describing Ameir as an anchor whose quiet devotion sustained President Samia through her long career in public leadership.
“I received with deep sadness the news of the passing of Hafidh Ameir Hassan, husband of my dear sister and colleague, Her Excellency President Samia Suluhu Hassan of Tanzania,” President Tinubu said.
Reflecting on the emotional magnitude of the bereavement, the Nigerian leader noted that the loss represents an intimate personal vacuum for the Tanzanian president and her household.
“I know what this loss means to President Samia and her family. She has lost a lifelong companion, her children a beloved father, and the family one of its pillars,” Tinubu stated. “For almost five decades he stood quietly beside her, through every season of her service to Tanzania. A companionship of that depth becomes part of who a person is. To lose it is to lose a portion of oneself, and I feel for her deeply.”
Tinubu reiterated Nigeria’s solidarity with the United Republic of Tanzania, emphasizing that the shared cultural and diplomatic ties connecting African nations become even more vital during moments of national grief.
“On behalf of the Government and people of Nigeria, and on behalf of my family, I extend my deepest condolences to President Samia, her children, the Hassan family and the people of Tanzania,” the President said. “At moments such as this, the bonds that unite us as Africans matter even more. Nigeria mourns with Tanzania and stands with President Samia and her family in this hour of grief.”
Offering prayers for the departed soul and the bereaved family, Tinubu added, “May the Almighty Allah grant Hafidh Ameir Hassan eternal rest, comfort all those he has left behind, and give President Samia and her family the strength and fortitude to bear this painful loss.”
Ameir, a retired agricultural officer and academic, married Samia Suluhu in 1978 and maintained a private life out of the political spotlight throughout his wife’s tenure as vice president and her subsequent assumption of the presidency in March 2021.
His passing has prompted an outpouring of diplomatic tributes across the continent, with regional leaders including Kenyan President William Ruto, Burundian President Évariste Ndayishimiye, and African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf joining Nigeria in mourning the late First Gentleman as burial arrangements proceed in Kizimkazi, Zanzibar.
