Family sources confirm he passed away at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH) in the early hours of Monday after a brief illness.

Confirming his death, one of Tofa’s relations said, “Alhaji Bashir Tofa died after a brief illness.”

Tofa was said to have been at the intensive care unit (ICU) at the hospital for days but was recovering. He eventually succumbed to the illness.

He was born on June 20, 1947.

In the 1993 presidential election, he squared off against MKO Abiola of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), the presumed winner of the election.