A top Nigerian Politician and former Presidential candidate of the defunct National Republican Convention (NRC), Bashir Othman Tofa, is dead.
Platforms Africa reports that he celebrated his 74th birthday on June 20, 2021.
The report by the leading pan-African media group added that Tofa, the major challenger to late MKO Abiola during the notorious 1993 Presidential election, died in the early hours of Monday, 24 years after Abiola died on July 7, 1998.
A family source told Platforms Africa that he died after an undisclosed illness, adding that burial plans are scheduled to take place on Monday morning.
One of Tofa’s daughters, who had debunked the rumors of his death when it trended on social media three days ago, confirmed his demise on Monday morning.
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Until his death, Tofa was known for speaking up for the country and suggesting ideas through which some of the crisis affecting Nigeria could be tackled.
Tofa, candidate of the National Republican Convention (NRC) in the 1993 election, ran against the late MKO Abiola of the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
Born on June 20, 1947, Tofa had his primary education at Shahuci Junior Primary, Kano and then continued studies at City Senior Primary School in Kano.
Between 1962 and 1966, he attended Provincial College, Kano. After completing his studies at the Provincial school, he worked for Royal Exchange Insurance company from 1967 to 1968. From 1970 to 1973, he attended City of London College.
His sojourn into politics started in 1976 when he was elected councilor of Dawakin Tofa Local Government Council. In 1977, he was elected a member into the Constituent Assembly. During the Nigerian Second Republic, Tofa was at various times the secretary of the Kano branch of NPN, he later became the party’s national financial secretary and was a national member of the Green Revolution National Committee.
The late Tofa was the late MKO Abiola’s major challenger in the controversial June 12, 1993, presidential election, annulled by the military government of General Ibrahim Babangida.
One of the deceased relations, said: “Alhaji Bashir Tofa died after a brief illness.”
