President Muhammadu Buhari and Bashir Tofa
The candidate of the National Republican Convention (NRC) within the June 12, 1993 presidential election, Bashir Tofa, has despatched a coded message on the popularity of his rival by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Asked by TheCable to touch upon Buhari’s declaration of June 12 as Democracy Day and the posthumous award of the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR) to MKO Abiola, the presumed winner, Tofa replied: “May God help Nigeria.”
Although his response offers nothing away, one among his associates instructed TheCable that Tofa remains to be finding out the state of affairs and wouldn't need to remark “until the dust settles”.
“It’s too early for him to comment. Let’s wait a few more days or weeks while the wind blows where it should,” the affiliate instructed TheCable, indicating that Tofa, who contested the election on the age of 45, would possibly launch a press assertion.
When the election was annulled, the NRC stated Tofa gained it in what was a counterclaim to SDP’s place.
As acknowledged by unofficial outcomes, Tofa obtained a complete of 5,952,087 (41.64%) of votes nationwide whereas Abiola, operating on the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), scored eight,341,309 (58.36%).
The complete vote case was 14,293,396.
Abiola gained 19 of the 30 states: Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Kwara, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Taraba and Yobe, plus the federal capital territory.
Tofa gained in 11 states: Abia, Adamawa, Bauchi, Enugu, Imo, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Niger, Rivers and Sokoto.
The Kano-based politician is presently a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), having joined from the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) when opposition events merged in 2013.