Ex-PDP National Chairman Bamanga Tukur Dies at 90

Former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, has died at the age of 90.

Family sources confirmed his death on Saturday, although details surrounding his death were not immediately available as of the time of filing this report.

Tukur, who was born on September 15, 1935, was a prominent businessman, politician and former governor of the old Gongola State, which comprised present-day Adamawa and Taraba states.

He first gained national prominence as the General Manager of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), a position he held from 1975 to 1982.

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He later ventured into politics and was elected Governor of Gongola State in 1983. His administration, however, was cut short by the military coup that brought the Second Republic to an end later that year.

Following his brief tenure as governor, Tukur returned to the business sector and founded BHI Holdings, also known as the DADDO Group of Companies.

He later served as Minister of Industries under the military administration of General Sani Abacha between 1993 and 1995.

Tukur also established a prominent presence in African business circles, serving as Executive President of the African Business Roundtable and Chairman of the NEPAD Business Group.

He held several other positions in international business and investment organisations during his career.

In March 2012, Tukur became National Chairman of the PDP with the backing of then-President Goodluck Jonathan.

He resigned from the position in January 2014 after months of internal crisis within the party.

Tukur, who held the traditional title of Tafidan Adamawa, was also a recipient of national honours, including Commander of the Order of the Mono (COM) and Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON).

He is survived by his family.