MKO Abiola’s poll challenger, Bashir Tofa, 1993 NRC Presidential Candidate, dies

The 1993 June 12 Presidential Candidate of the defunct National Republican Convention (NRC), Alhaji Bashir Othman Tofa, from Kano, has passed on.

Tofa, who lost to the late Chief MKO Abiola of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the election, died in the early hours of January 3, 2022 during a protracted illness.

One of the deceased’s relations, Alhaji Muhammad, confirmed his death.

“Alhaji Bashir Tofa died after being admitted in hospital for sometime,” he told newsmen.

Persecondnews.com recalls that MKO Abiola’s election adjudged as the freest and fairest in the political annals of Nigeria, was however, annulled by the then military Head of State, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida.

Abiola died on July 7, 1998 in federal government’s custody in Aso Rock the day he was due to be released following violent protests and agitations across the nation.

His death was trailed by suspicious circumstances, while an official autopsy stated that Abiola died of heart attack, late Gen. Sani Abacha’s Chief Security Officer said Abiola was beaten to death.