Residents of the Federal Capital Territory woke up on Thursday morning to behold big, bold and beautiful posters of Bashir Othman Tofa announcing the taciturn businessman's presidential aspiration for the 2011 general elections under the platform of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP).



From the posters, it appears that Mr Tofa decided to reignite his presidential ambition the same day the incumbent governor of Kano State, Ibrahim Shakarau, flagged-off his presidential campaign in Abuja.

On June 12, 1993, Mr Tofa contested the presidency of Nigeria on the platform of the now defunct National Republican Convention (NRC) against the late Moshood Abiola of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), who is believed to have won the election.

Mr Tofa contested the election with the former labour leader, Pascal Bafyau, as his running mate. The election was later annulled by the military government of Ibrahim Babangida.

Grand campaign

As at the time of going to press, NEXT was unable to get the politician's reaction to the development. However, sources close to him said he was preparing to unveil his campaign in a grand way in the days ahead.

The ANPP, Nigeria's main opposition political party, had during its National Executive Council meeting last week, announced that it is zoning its presidential ticket to the north while the south-east is to produce the party's national chairman.

Just as the issue of zoning is threatening to tear the nation's ruling party apart, ANPP's zoning formula has already started generating internal crisis in the party that has twice shifted its national convention before now.

In 2003 and 2007, the ANPP presented Muhammadu Buhari, a former military Head of State, as its presidential candidate. Mr Buhari has since created his own platform, the Congress for Progressive Change.

Until yesterday, Mr Shekarau was the only presidential aspirant on the platform of the ANPP.

A source at the ANPP secretariat said that Mr Tofa's decision to flood the federal capital with his posters was aimed at frustrating the ambition of his state governor. The source said that there is no love lost between Mr Shekarau and Tofa and that the latter is being used by some members of the party against the governor's ambition.

In 2007, Mr Tofa showed interest in the position but later stepped down for Muhammadu Buhari, who flew ANPP's flag that year. He was later named the chairman of the reconciliation committee of the party. When asked in an interview three years ago if he had his eyes on the presidency again, Mr Tofa said, "Four eyes. All the four eyes."

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/Home/5603499-146/bashir_tofa_relaunches_presidential_bid_.csp

good for him.

Yepa!!!

How many wan campaign?

I'm also contesting for the office, who will be my running mate cos I'm sure of victory. Just heard from the octopus. . . .

hmmm,,,,,looks like someone that would do another 'YarAdua' on us!
He better retire to his farm quickly

So this guy is still alive ?

Another razzzzzzzzzzzzzzz! Who's next?

T.O.F.A.

T, THEIF

O, OLE

F, FOUR ONE NINE

A, ASHEWO

Time to waste money, they should carry on. More grease to their greediness.

@kay bently,

this ur remark ehhhhhhhhhhh ,e fit kill person oooooo, . i dey roll for ground, legs up,crazily laughing like a slowpoke.

n=a=i=j=a. abeg me i go soon jaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.

Old wine in a new bottle. The wine still retains it taste. welcome onboard

i'm pretty sure some of his old campaign billboards from 92/93 can still be found up north

times are tough but tofa is tougher

wetin dey with naija and geriatrics sef?

@slap1
You are free to contest. When read get your winning tools at 080 advertising, they will help you in your SMS campaigns nationwide. Go to http://www.080advertising.com . The will provide you the tools to become known all over Nigeria within 24 hours.

Too much money to waste.There's no way in hell that ANPP will win the most coveted elective office considering the determination of PDP to rig election results for the next 60 years

as an 8 yr old I still remembred that song tofa is the answer, tofa!
I now wonder what he wants .a man who should be thinking of long life

He has the right to contest . . . wish him luck

Just thinking, since there's minimum age for one to become president,there should also be a maximum. My opinion though

Africanson:

@slap1
You are free to contest. When read get your winning tools at 080 advertising, they will help you in your SMS campaigns nationwide. Go to http://www.080advertising.com . The will provide you the tools to become known all over Nigeria within 24 hours.

. . . . . .By their fruits . . . . .

kay bently:

T.O.F.A.

T, THEIF

O, OLE

F, FOUR ONE NINE

A, ASHEWO

I remember this from 1993.
MKO's own was

M, MONEY MISS ROAD

K, KIDNAPPER

O, Ole.

good luck to him

demostration of crazy
is ok that way lets live wt it then

Watch out for Oluagness. Good way of recognition

I thought Tofa's VP was Silvester Ugo?

Chei, Nigeria don suffer. Every body who has stolen enough money from her will want to further loot rule her as preident. Na wa o!

NEXT newspaper should be thorough and accurate in its reporting.

Paschal Bafyau was not in NRC but in SDP and he did not make it as a VP candidate because MKO, the SDP flagbearer, chose Baba Gana Kingibe in preference to Atiku Abubakar and Pascal Bafyau who were both contenders. The running mate to Tofa in that election was Dr Sylvester Ugo. Ugo was of the defunct Central Bank of Biafra, a fact that some members of the opposing party used to taunt them.

Even in his younger days as a presidential aspirant of the NRC, Tofa was not articulate as we saw during the presidential debate he had with MKO Abiola. In fact, it was that debate that convinced many people that MKO would win. I wonder what Tofa now has to offer when he is even older and naturally less active.

In that 1993 election, Tofa lost to MKO both in his home Kano state and even LGA although some usually add that he lost even in his ward. May be thinks he is more popular now.

What happened to Shekarau?

printers don hammer again.

I doubt if he'll run, this man reminds me of Rilwan Lukman, why can't these old people go to their village and rest?
You were beaten mercilessly 17 or so years ago and you think you are more popular now to win an election, what a joke!

Maybe he is joking