The body of the former Presidential candidate of the defunct National Republican Convention (NRC) in the June 12, 1993 election, Bashir Othman Tofa, who died in the wee hours of Monday, has been buried.

The burial, in conformity with the tenants of Islam, took place before a mammoth crowd in Kano.

Tofa had contested alongside his opponent, Social Democratic Party (SDP) Presidential candidate, late Chief Mashood Abiola in the election which was annulled by the former Nigeria Military head of state, Ibrahim Babangida.

Mourning Tofa, Kano State Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje said that his contributions to Nigeria’s democracy remain indelible.

In a statement signed by the Kano State Commissioner for Information, Malam Muhammad Garba, 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 remaining 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 down-trodden, and expressed the belief that the legacies of the deceased will be approximated 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 hold prints 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. (Pieced together from reports by New Telegraph)

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