Bamanga Tukur Buried in Yola as Shettima, Ododo Mourn Deceased Elder Statesman
Deji Elumoye, Chuks Okocha in Abuja and Ibrahim Oyewale in Lokoja
The remains of a former National National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and elder statesman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, were laid to rest in his hometown, Yola, Adamawa on Sunday.
The burial, conducted according to Islamic rites, was led by the Chief Imam of Modibbo Adamawa Central Mosque, Yola, Alhaji Ahmadu Bobboi.
His remains were buried in the family house at Fadde-Sanda, Abuja Road, Yola.
Tukur died on Saturday at the age of 91. He is survived by two wives and 18 children, among them the Secretary to the State Government of Adamawa, Awwal Tukur.
The funeral prayers were attended by Aliko Dangote, Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa, Senator Iya Abbas representing Adamawa Central, former Governor Jibrilla Bindow, traditional leaders and other dignitaries across the state and beyond.
Meanwhile, Vice-President Kashim Shettima has expressed deep sadness over his passing.
Shettima, in a release by his Media Assistant, Stanley Nkwocha, described his demise as a huge loss to Nigeria, saying he was a true patriot, a global citizen and an institution in his own right.
According to him, Tukur’s demise was not just a loss to Adamawa State or the Fombina Emirate, but a monumental loss to Nigeria and the African continent.
“I am deeply grieved by the passing of our father, mentor and one of Nigeria’s greatest institution-builders, Alhaji Dr. Bamanga Muhammad Tukur, CON, the Tafidan Adamawa, who returned to his Creator today, September 12, 2026, at the age of 90, just three days shy of his 91st birthday.
“Alhaji Bamanga Tukur lived a life of impact in three distinct but interlinked worlds — as a technocrat who built Nigeria’s modern maritime infrastructure, as a statesman and politician who governed with vision, and as a pan-African business leader who put Africa’s private sector on the world map.
“Nigerians of my generation will never forget that in 1975, when Nigerian ports were gridlocked by the infamous cement armada, a young, brilliant Bamanga Tukur was called to lead the Nigerian Ports Authority. He did not just clear the congestion; he built for the future.”
He recalled that, as General Manager and Chief Executive of the NPA from 1975 to 1982, Tukur conceived and delivered the Tin Can Island Port Complex, modernised Apapa, Warri, Calabar, Sapele and Onne ports, and expanded the nation’s cargo-handling capacity.
“That singular intervention saved the Nigerian economy from collapse and created the gateway that still powers our trade today. In doing so, he became the first African Vice President and later a global icon in the International Association of Ports and Harbours in Tokyo, flying Nigeria’s flag high at a time when few Africans had such an opportunity,” he added.
On his political career, Shettima recalled that although his tenure as Governor of the old Gongola State, comprising present-day Adamawa and Taraba states, was cut short by the military intervention of December 1983, “Bamanga Tukur’s vision for rural development and education left an enduring mark.
“He later served as Minister for Industries under the Abacha administration and came full circle between 2012 and 2014 as National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party at a most turbulent time.
“Even his fiercest political opponents attest that Tukur was a man of consensus, a man who chose the stability of the party over his own comfort when he voluntarily resigned in January 2014.”
On his part, the Kogi State Governor, Usman Ododo, in a statement signed by his Commissioner for information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, described his death as a great loss to Nigeria.
He said it was so particularly coming at a time when the country continues to draw from the experience and wisdom of leaders, who contributed significantly to its political and socio-economic development.
He described Tukur as a prominent Nigerian whose contributions to public service, business and national politics spanned several decades.
