Bamanga Tukur: The Long Road From Gongola To National Politics

The death of Alhaji Bamanga Mahmud Tukur, former governor of old Gongola State and ex-national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has brought to an end the long public career of one of Nigeria’s prominent political and business figures.

Tukur, who died on September 12, 2026, aged 90, spent more than five decades moving through public administration, politics, business and international economic affairs.

Born on September 15, 1935, in the present-day Adamawa State, Tukur came to national prominence through his career at the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), where he rose to become General Manager and Chief Executive.

He headed the NPA from 1975 to 1982, a period when the country’s ports were struggling with congestion arising partly from the massive cement importation programme of the era.

During his tenure, efforts were made to expand port capacity and improve facilities to meet Nigeria’s growing import and export requirements.

His departure from the NPA marked a major turning point in his career as he moved from public administration into partisan politics.

In the 1983 governorship election in Gongola State, Tukur contested on the platform of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) and defeated former governor Abubakar Barde of the Nigerian People’s Party (NPP).

He assumed office as governor in October 1983, succeeding Wilberforce Juta.

His tenure, however, was one of the shortest in the history of Nigerian state governorships.

Barely three months after he assumed office, the military coup of December 31, 1983, brought the Second Republic to an end and terminated his administration.
Gongola State, which then covered a large part of present-day Adamawa and Taraba states, was later divided into the two states in 1991.

Interestingly, Tukur’s political history with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar dated back to this period.

Atiku was involved in Tukur’s 1983 governorship campaign in Gongola State, when the two men were on the same political side.

Three decades later, however, the relationship would take a dramatically different turn, as the two became involved in one of the most consequential internal battles in the PDP.
Following the collapse of the Second Republic, Tukur moved into the private sector and entrepreneurship.

He became associated with BHI Holdings and the DADDO group of companies and established himself as a major figure in Nigeria’s business community.

His activities soon extended beyond Nigeria, with his involvement in continental business organisations earning him prominence in African economic circles.

He served as President of the Africa Business Roundtable and later became Chairman of the NEPAD Business Group, among other positions