Former national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the first civilian governor of the defunct Gongola State, Bamanga Tukur has been pronounced dead.
This has prompted Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri has declared three days of mourning across the state.
Tukur, an elder statesman, businessman and politician, died on Saturday after a brief illness.
Fintiri, who announced the mourning period in a statement issued by Humwashi Wonosikou, his chief press secretary, described the death as a major loss to Adamawa State and Nigeria, saying Tukur’s contributions to public service and national development had left an enduring legacy.
The governor said Tukur’s experience and counsel had been valuable to the state and the country, adding that his death had created a void that would be difficult to fill.
“Alhaji Bamanga Tukur was a colossus who made remarkable contributions to the development of Adamawa State and Nigeria,” Fintiri said.
He added that he would personally miss Tukur’s “wise counsel and the depth of experience” he brought to issues affecting the state and the nation.
As part of the mourning period, Fintiri directed that government flags across Adamawa be flown at half-mast for three days in recognition of Tukur’s contributions to the state and the country.
The governor extended his condolences to Tukur’s family, friends and associates, as well as the people of Adamawa State, urging them to draw strength from his record of public service and leadership.
Fintiri also prayed that Almighty Allah would forgive Tukur’s shortcomings, grant him Aljannah Firdaus and give his family the strength to bear the loss.
Tukur served as governor of Gongola State, which was created in 1976 and later divided to form Adamawa and Taraba states, and subsequently played a prominent role in national politics, including serving as national chairman of the PDP.
