By Myke Uzendu, Abuja
Nigeria has lost a former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), businessman and elder statesman, Alhaji Dr Bamanga Tukur, who died on Saturday at the age of 90.
Tukur, the Tafidan Adamawa, reportedly died at about noon at his residence on Ademola Adetokunbo Crescent, Wuse 2, Abuja, two days before his 91st birthday.
The announcement was contained in a statement issued in Abuja by his former media aide while he served as PDP National Chairman, Chief Oliver Okpala, with the consent and approval of Tukur’s eldest son, Rt. Hon. Awwal Tukur, and his eldest daughter, Lami.
Okpala said the remains of the former governor would be flown to Adamawa for burial arrangements in accordance with Islamic rites.
Sympathisers, family members, political associates and other well-wishers were said to have thronged the late elder statesman’s Abuja residence following news of his death to pay their final respects.
Reacting to his father’s death, Awwal Tukur said the family accepted the development as the will of Allah, describing his father’s life and contributions as sources of solace to the family.
He said the family would draw strength from the exemplary life the elder Tukur lived and the legacies he left behind.
In a statement issued on behalf of the family, Okpala described the deceased as one of the founding figures of Nigeria’s democratic era and an influential personality in the country’s political, business and public sectors.
Tukur combined a career in politics and public administration with extensive business interests, rising to become chairman of the African Business Round Table (ABR), an umbrella organisation for businesses across the continent.
He also served the country in various executive capacities, including as Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and subsequently as chairman of the authority.
According to the family statement, several of the ports currently serving Nigeria were developed during his tenure and leadership at the NPA.
Tukur later ventured into partisan politics and was elected governor of the old Gongola State, which was subsequently divided into several states following Nigeria’s state-creation exercises.
He also served as a Federal Minister.
His political career culminated in his emergence as National Chairman of the PDP, where he presided over the affairs of the ruling party during a significant period in the country’s democratic development.
The family statement credited him with bringing what it described as “sanity, progress, electoral victories and political decorum” to the PDP during his tenure.
Beyond Nigeria, Tukur was also recognised for his participation in international business and diplomatic engagements.
The family statement said he made history as the first African to address the United Nations General Assembly in New York as a private citizen who was neither a head of state nor head of government.
It described him as an accomplished investor, entrepreneur and technocrat who built and participated in several business ventures during his lifetime.
His death has drawn tributes from political associates, business figures, friends and members of the public who described him as an influential figure in Nigerian politics, governance and business.
The family said Tukur would be remembered by generations of Nigerians for his contributions to public service, politics and enterprise.
He is survived by his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, including Awwal Tukur, who serves as Secretary to the Adamawa State Government.
The family said further details concerning the burial arrangements would be announced in accordance with Islamic traditions.
