An haifi Bashir Othman Tofa a ranar 20 ga watan Yunin, 1947, a garin Tofa da ke birnin Kano a Najeriya. Marigayi Bashir Tofa dan kasuwa ne kuma a lokaci guda dan siyasa, wanda ya fara tsayawa takarar siyasa a matsayin kansila a garin Dawakin Tofa cikin shekarar 1977. A jamhuriya ta biyu ma marigayin ya taka rawa sosai a harkokin siyasa, inda ya rike mukamin sakataren jamiyar NPN na jihar Kano kafin daga bisani ya rike mukamin sakataren kudi na jamiyyar ta NPN na kasa. A shekarar 1993 ne aka fi jiyo amon marigayin a harkokin sisayar Najeriya, inda ya yi takarar shugabancin kasar tare da marigayi Bashorun Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola wato MKO Abiola. Bashir Tofa dai ya tsaya takara ne a karkashin jamiyyar NRC mai alamar mikiya, zaben da ya zamo abin kwatance a Najeriyar har kawo yanzu, sakamakon soke shi da gwamnatin mulkin soja ta wnacan lokaci karkashin jagorancin Janaral Majo Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida ta yi. Ana ganin dai marigayi Abiola ne ya lashe zaben, ko da yake ba a bayyana sakamkon a hukumance ba. Marigayi Bashir Tofa marubuci ne kuma dan kasuwa mai hada-hadar mai. Ya yi rubuce-rubuce a fannoni da dama da suka shafi falsafar addini cikin harshen hausa da kuma tafiye-tafiye. Manyan mutane da dama sun halarci jana'izar marigayin da ya rasu yana da shekaru 74 a duniya. Marigayi Bashir Tofa ya rasu ya bar mace guda da 'ya'ya shida da jikoki da dama. Kafin rasuwarsa shi ne ke jagorantar wata kungiya ta masu kishin Kano wacce ke fafutukar tabbatar da hadin kan alummar jihar.