By Abiola Olawale
The District Head of Kurfi in Katsina State, Alhaji Ahmadu Kurfi, has passed away at the age of 93 years.
Reports emerging revealed that Kurfi passed away on Thursday.
The New Diplomat reports that Kurfi held a notable position as the former executive secretary of the now-defunct Federal Electoral Commission (FEDECO) during the Second Republic.
The FEDECO eventually evolved into what is known today as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Kurfi was born in 1931, and until his death, he held the ‘Maradin Katsina’ traditional title in the Katsina Emirate.
Before becoming a traditional ruler, Kurfi was a very senior civil servant at the federal level for many years.
He was the deputy permanent secretary in the Ministry of Defence when the 1966 coup took place. He was also a permanent secretary in the Office of the Head of Service.
Kurfi was known as the first executive secretary of FEDECO, set up by the military to organise the transition to civilian rule in 1979. It was this electoral commission that organised the election that brought in Alhaji Shehu Shagari as president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 1979.