Nigeria Rep Yaya Bauchi Tongo dies in Abuja

Yaya Bauchi Tongo, a member of Nigeria's House of Representatives, died on Friday, June 12, 2026, in Abuja. The lawmaker, who represented the Gombe/Kwami/Funakaye Federal Constituency of Gombe State, passed away following a brief illness at Nizamiye Hospital, where he had been receiving treatment.

The House of Representatives confirmed his death in an official statement issued by its spokesperson, Akintunde Rotimi, on Friday. The statement described Tongo's passing as a painful loss to the National Assembly, Gombe State, and the nation, marking the end of a life dedicated to public service. His death was also announced publicly by former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Pantami, who had visited the lawmaker in the hospital earlier that day.

Tongo had a long record of public service. Before his election to the federal legislature in the 2023 general election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, he served as Chairman of Funakaye Local Government Area, Special Adviser to the Gombe State Government, and a member of the Gombe State House of Assembly. In March 2026, he defected to the African Democratic Congress. At the time of his death, he served...