Bashir Tofa Laid to Rest
- Ganduje Mourns
Ibrahim Shuaibu in Kano
Amidst tears, the remains of Alhaji Bashir Othman Tofa, candidate of the defunct National Republican Convention in the June 12, 1993 Presidential election, were laid to rest on Monday .
Tofa was buried between the graves of his parents at Hajj Camp cemetery in Kano metropolis on Monday.
The funeral prayer was attended by the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero, the former governor of Kano State, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, among others.
He died at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH) in the early hours of Monday after a brief illness. He was aged 74.
The late soft spoken politician was born on June 20, 1947.
In the 1993 presidential election, he contested against MKO Abiola of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), the winner of the election. But the Babangida regime annulled the election and the full results were not officially released
The deceased was a fierce critic of Governor Abdullahi Ganduje on Kano Emirate Laws that balkanised the old Emirate into five in the state.
He argued that the emirate law was an attempt to destroy the ancient city’s 1000-year-old heritage.
Tofa had also criticized the governor’s plan to obtain a Chinese loan for the light rail project and then contended that the project might not be of great importance to Kano residents.
Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje mourned Alhaji Tofa, saying his contributions to Nigeria’s democracy, remained indelible.
In a statement signed by the commissioner for Information, Malam Muhammad Garba and made available to THISDAY in Kano, the governor noted the sacrifices of Tofa, who started taking up leadership responsibilities at an early age, when he was elected councilor in Tofa in his late 20s, and remained vibrant and dynamic up till the time of his death.
He said as a businessman, trader and philanthropist, Tofa touched the lives of many people, especially the downtrodden, and expressed the belief that the legacies of the deceased will endure for posterity.
“The legacy of his political beliefs and triumphs will be important footnotes in the literature of Nigeria’s government and politics for generations yet to come.
“He was a great man, a quintessential democrat and outstanding statesman who has left very lasting impressions both on the politics and political history of Nigeria, “the statement added.
The governor prayed Almighty Allah to grant his soul Aljannah Firdausi and the fortitude for his family, friends and associates to bear the irreparable loss.
