ABUJA, Nigeria – Former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), prominent industrialist, and Second Republic governor of the old Gongola State, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, CON, has died at the age of 90, family sources confirmed on Saturday, September 12, 2026.
The elder statesman passed away just three days before what would have been his 91st birthday on September 15, bringing to a close a distinguished career in public service, national politics, maritime administration, and international commerce spanning more than five decades.
Okay News reports that while formal burial arrangements and family communiques are expected later in the day, political leaders, associates, and captains of industry across Nigeria have begun paying tributes to the revered political patriarch.
Born on September 15, 1935, in what is present-day Adamawa State, Tukur first rose to national and international prominence in the mid-1970s when he was appointed General Manager and Chief Executive of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), serving from 1975 to 1982.
During his consequential tenure at the NPA, Tukur spearheaded the decongestion and modernization of Nigeria’s maritime gateways, overseeing the construction and expansion of critical national infrastructure including the Tin Can Island Port and the Third Wharf extension at the Apapa Port Complex in Lagos, as well as port facilities in Warri, Sapele, and Calabar.
He subsequently transitioned into partisan politics during the Second Republic on the platform of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN), securing election as the civilian Governor of the old Gongola State—which encompassed present-day Adamawa and Taraba states—in October 1983, although his administration was curtailed by the military coup of December 1983.
Following his gubernatorial tenure, Tukur established a formidable presence in the private sector, founding BHI Holdings and the DADDO Group of Companies, before returning to federal service as Minister of Industries between 1993 and 1995 under the military administration of General Sani Abacha.
On the continental stage, Tukur championed African economic integration and private-sector-led development, serving for many years as Executive President of the African Business Roundtable (ABR) and Chairman of the NEPAD Business Group, where he persistently advocated for equitable cross-border trade partnerships.
In March 2012, Tukur was elected National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party during the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan, leading the ruling party’s National Working Committee during a turbulent political epoch before stepping down from the leadership helm in January 2014.
A recipient of prestigious national and international honours—including Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) in Nigeria and Commander of the Order of the Mono (COM) in Togo—Tukur also held the revered traditional title of Tafidan Adamawa, leaving behind children, grandchildren, and an indelible legacy across Nigeria’s political and industrial landscape.
