- He was tall, slim, light-skinned with a pointed nose (a typical Fulani)
- He came from a large area whose dominant tribe were the Chambas
- The Chambas had one king, who happened to be the father of Mahmud Tukur
- The title of the king of Chambas used to be Wakili Chamba
- After the plebiscite of 1962 in which parts of the area voted to join Nigeria and the other Cameroon, the area over which reigned the Wakili Chamba reigned, became smaller. This necessitated the return of his father to Yola
- His father represented the Chambas in the Adamawa Native Authority Council
- He was younger brother to Alhaji Bamanga Tukur
- He and Bamanga Tukur were classmates at Yola Middle School and Bauchi Provincial Secondary School
- He and Bamanga did up to Form 2 in Yola then went to Bauchi Provincial Secondary School to complete their secondary education
- He was the intellectual powerhouse while Bamanga showed his leadership abilities everywhere they went (Bamanga was Head Boy)
- He left Bauchi Provincial Secondary School in 1957. He did not work at the Native Authority, Yola, like his brother, Bamanga who moved on to the Ports Authority after a stint at the Native Authority.
- In 1958, he received a scholarship to study History at the University of Oxford, United Kingdom
- After completing his studies, he returned to Nigeria and joined the civil service in Kaduna
- A couple of years later, he left for his Masters and Ph.D. in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, United States
- He returned to Nigeria to take up appointment as a lecturer at the Kongo branch/campus of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU). Was actually incharge of the Kongo campus
- From Ahmadu Bello University, he was appointed Vice-Chancellor of Bayero University, Kano
- When General Murtala Mohammed became Head of State, he removed Prof Ade Ajayi as Vice Chancellor, University of Lagos and appointed Mahmud Tukur in his stead but he declined the appointment because “Lagos was too rowdy for him.” He returned to Ahmadu Bello University after this.
- He remained at ABU until his brother, Bamanga decided to go into politics in 1983. He was Bamanga’s campaign manager. They won the election with a landslide victory. He helped to form the government. He was virtually ‘the government.’
- When the military coup truncated that civilian dispensation, he went back to ABU but General Buhari, as new Head of State appointed him as one of his ministers (Minister of Trade)
- He was instrumental to President Buhari getting married to the First Lady, Madam Aisha Buhari
- He was part of the “Kaduna Mafia.” With the likes of Musa Bello, Adamu Ciroma, Mamman Daura, Ibrahim Tahir, and the others.
- Late General Shehu Yar’adua, former Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters in the administration of General Olusegun Obasanjo in the late 70s cultivated friendship with the Kaduna Mafia. General Buhari who was close to General Yar’adua, naturally extended became involved with Mahmud Tukur and other members of the highly regarded group.
- His first wife was from Kabba in today’s Kogi state
- His second wife was Damburam Jeda’s daughter. Damburam Jega was minister of animal husbandry in the government of late Sardauna of Sokoto, Sir Ahmadu Bello
- Some people thought he would be in President Buhari’s government from 2015, considering their closeness and the roles in played in the emergence of Mr. President. But he declined because he wanted to pay closer attention to his health.
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