A former presidential candidate, Alhaji Bashir Othman Tofa, has passed away at the age of 74 years.
The erudite politician, who contested in the June 12, 1993 elections, under the platform of the defunct National Republican Convention, NRC, was said to have passed away after suffering a brief illness.
According to reports, Tofa breathed his last in the early hours of Monday at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano State.
Tofa gained prominence when he contested against the Late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola (MKO), who was the presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party(SDP) in the 1993 election. The election was however annulled by the former Nigeria Military head of state, Ibrahim Babangida.
Before the election was annulled, Tofa had polled a total of 2.3 million votes, winning 11 states while Abiola got 4.3 million and won 19 states.
Born on 20 June 1947, Tofa was also a businessman of note. He was 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 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 councilor of Dawakin Tofa Local Government Council.
Meanwhile, the Coalition of Northern Groups, CNG, has expressed its condolences over the demise of Tofa.
The group described Tofa as a great statesman and mentor, who will be greatly missed.
This was contained in a condolence message issued by the group’s Spokesperson Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, CNG.
The statement reads, “We mourn the passing of this great man from whose life and works we have drawn inspiration and we must strive, in all we do, to live by the personal and social values and standards he lived and set for himself.
“The North certanly lost a great statesman, but the youth lost a mentor, a guardian, a living history and an embodiment of all the exemplary qualities young Northerners should strive to achieve.
“We pray the Almighty Allah to overlook his shortcomings, forgive his gentle soul, admit him to Jannah and grant his family the fortitude to bear the loss.”
