The former Presidential candidate of the defunct National Republican Convention, NRC, in the June 12, 1993 election, Bashir Othman Tofa is dead.
A close family relative confirmed that the Elder Statesman died in the early hours of Monday after a protracted illness.
He was said to have been at the intensive care unit (ICU) at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital for days but was recovering. He eventually succumbed to the illness.
In the 1993 presidential election, he contested against Moshood Abiola of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), the presumed winner of the election.
The Ibrahim Babangida military regime annulled the election, sparking nationwide protests. Tofa was a businessman, an oil trader, an industrialist and the chairman of International Petro-Energy Company (IPEC) and Abba Othman and Sons Ltd. He was also involved as a board member in Impex Ventures, Century Merchant Bank and General Metal Products Ltd.
He had his primary education at Shahuci Junior Primary, Kano and then continued studies at City Senior Primary School in Kano. From 1962 to 1966, he attended Provincial College, Kano. After completing his studies at the Provincial school, he worked for the Royal Exchange Insurance company from 1967 to 1968.
From 1970 to 1973, he attended City of London College. Tofa’s sojourn into politics started in 1976 when he was a councillor of Dawakin Tofa Local Government Council. In 1977, he was elected a member of the Constituent Assembly. During the Second Republic, Tofa was the secretary of the Kano branch of NPN at various times.
He later became the party’s national financial secretary and was a national member of the Green Revolution National Committee. During the Third Republic, he was part of the Liberal Movement, which metamorphosed into the Liberal Convention when it was not registered as a political party.
A general prayer for the former Presidential candidate has been held at his residence in Kano State. Imam Shehu Tijjani Yan Mota led the prayer session at 9.20 am today.
The funeral prayer held at his residence at Gandun Albasa was attended by the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero, Kano Central Senator, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, former Minister of Agriculture, Alhaji Sabo Nanono, and Alhaji Sule Yahya Hamma.
Others were Alhaji Aminu Dabo, Alhaji Sani Kwangila Yakasai and Barr. A.B Mahmud. He was later buried at Hajj camp burial ground. Tofa, born in June 1947, was also the chairman of the Kano Elders Forum.
NAN/Suzan O.
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