| Office1: | Senate Majority Leader |
| Term Start1: | 3 June 2019 |
| Term End1: | 8 June 2022 |
| Predecessor1: | Ahmad Lawan |
| Successor1: | Abdullahi Ibrahim Gobir |
| Office2: | Senator for Kebbi North |
| Term Start2: | June 2015 |
| Predecessor2: | Adamu Baba Augie |
| Office3: | Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs |
| Term Start3: | October 2008 |
| Term End3: | December 2010 |
| Office4: | Honourable Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Sokoto and Kebbi States |
| Term Start4: | 1990 |
| Term End4: | 1991 |
| Office5: | Head of Department, Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria (and Member of the University Senate). |
| Term Start5: | 1987 |
| Term End5: | 1990 |
| Birth Date: | 10 December 1950 |
| Birth Place: | Argungu, Northern Region, British Nigeria (now in Kebbi State, Nigeria) |
| Nationality: | Nigerian |
| Party: | Peoples Democratic Party |
| Profession: | Associate Professor/Principal Research Fellow, (October 1990) |
| Alma Mater: | Ahmadu Bello University |
Yahaya Abubakar Abdullahi (born 10 December 1950) is a Nigerian politician and an associate professor.[1] He is the Senator representing Kebbi North Senatorial District of Kebbi State at the 9th National Assembly.[2] [3] He was Senate Majority Leader of the Nigerian 9th National Assembly.[4]
He began his early education at the Dankoji Primary School, Argungu, from 1959 to 1964; after which he attended the Nagarta College, Sokoto, from 1965 to 1969.[5]
Yahaya attended the School of Basic Studies, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State, from 1970 to 1971 and continued in the same university to obtain a Bachelor of Science degree in social sciences, and a Doctor of Philosophy Ph.D., in rural sociology from 1976 to 1983.Abdullahi also holds the Certificate of Development Oriented Research in Agriculture, ICRA, Wageningen, The Netherlands, 1985.[1]
Prior to his engagement in the Nigerian Civil Service and later politics, Abdullahi was a busy academic at the Faculty of Agriculture, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and the University of Lagos, during which he held various teaching and research positions, namely;
He taught Rural Sociology, Agricultural Institutions, Extension, Rural Community Institutions and Economic Development at the Faculty of Agriculture, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, at undergraduate and post-graduate levels, from 1976 to 1990.[6]
As the head of department, he supervised or co-supervised many masters and doctorate programmes, including the coordination of both teaching and research programmes of the Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Zaria.[6]
He undertook Rural Development Research independently, jointly and as a member of the Multi-disciplinary Teams, both within and outside Nigeria.[5]
In the 2015 elections, Abdullahi contested and won the Kebbi North Senatorial seat, on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC.[7] In the February 23, 2019 elections, he was announced winner of the Kebbi North Senatorial District election having polled 170,624 votes as Usman Bello Suru of the PDP polled 66,815 votes.[8] [9]
On 3 June 2019, he was announced as the 9th National Assembly Senate Majority Leader.[10] [11]
On 8 June 2022, he officially left the All Progressives Congress, APC to the Peoples Democratic Party, to recontest his present seat at the Senate.[12]
In October 2022, a Nigerian National Honour of Commander Of The Order Of The Niger (CON) was conferred on him by President Muhammadu Buhari.[15]