Onukaba, Atiku’s ex-spokesman, dies in road accident

Adinoyi-Ojo Onukaba, a seasoned journalist who served as senior special assistant to former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, is dead.

TheCable gathered that he was involved in an accident while trying to avoid armed robbers on his way from the 80th birthday ceremony of former President Olusegun Obasanjo in Abeokuta, Ogun state capital, on Sunday.

Yusuf Itopa, one of his relations, told NAN that Onukaba was knocked down by an oncoming vehicle while running into a nearby bush to escape armed robbers in Ondo state.

Itopa, who witnessed the incident, said there were three people in Onukaba’s car, including his driver. he explained that they ran into a blockade mounted by the robbers.

He said Onukaba’s corpse was later deposited at a mortuary in Akure from, where it will be brought for burial later on Monday, in his hometown of Ihima in Okehi local government area of Kogi.

The deceased was a former managing director of Daily Times. He also worked with Obasanjo for many years.

He went into politics and wanted to be the governor of Kogi, where he hailed from, but did not succeed.

After the death of Abubakar Audu, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the November 2015 governorship election, Onukaba was among the contenders for the ticket of the party in the supplementary election.

Yahaya Bello, the incumbent governor, eventually secured the ticket.

Shortly after Bello emerged, he called on the people of the state to support him, and advised the governor to improve the lot of the masses.

“Kogi is in serious crisis. A period of crisis portends danger and opportunity. He (Bello) can turn this crisis into an opportunity Kogi’s rebirth through good governance and exemplary leadership,” he had said in a statement.

Onukaba is survived by three children, two girls and a boy.

He started his journalism career in The Guardian in 1983 and made his mark covering the airport in Lagos.

Onukaba struck friendship with many Nigerian dignitaries on this beat, including Obasanjo. The relationship with the elder statesman blossomed into Onukaba writing the first biography of the retired general, titled ‘In the Eyes of Time’.

He also wrote the biography of Atiku, titled ‘The Story of Atiku Abubakar’.

He was born on March 9, 1960 in Oboroke-Ihima, Okehi LGA of Kogi, to the family of Malam Shuaibu Onukaba and Aisha Onukaba.

He obtained his first degree in 1982 in Theatre Arts from University of Ibadan. He spent his National Youth Service Corps year at Radio Nigeria, Ikoyi –Lagos , from where he joined The Guardian in 1983.

He rose to the position of news editor before travelling out in 1989 for graduate studies at New York University, New York, USA.