Duro Onabule: Torn Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea

His was a particularly precarious position, at a particularly momentous time in the nation’s history. Segun James looks at the life and times of late former presidential spokesman, Duro Onabule

During the June 12, 1993 period, the world of the Chief Press Secretary to President Ibrahim Babangida, Chief Duro Onabule, became a small, dark, and cluttered place. This was the time he had to hide not out of fear but because of his particular position in the scheme of things as events that saw the annulment of the election won by his former boss and mentor, Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola unfolded.

For him, the June 12 debacle was particularly an unfortunate incident. It was Abiola who recommended him to his friend, General Ibrahim Babangida, who just successfully plotted his way to power in a coup that saw the ouster of General Muhammadu Buhari.

During this period, Abiola enjoyed a chummy relationship with Babangida who also encouraged him to contest the presidency when the ban on politics was lifted.

But the situation soon changed when Abiola won the election that was considered to be the best and freest in the nation’s history. The situation soon changed as Babangida refused to relinquish power as the election was canceled.

It was a devastating blow for Onabulae as he was now torn between the devil and the deep blue sea. Because of his relationship with Abiola, he became a suspect in the power equation. He was not fully trusted by the people around Babangida and he could not fully relate with Abiola either. He was soon a man in limbo. Never wanted here and never needed there. The consequence of this is that he never got his groove back.

June 12 has had a momentous impact on his life – privately, publicly, and politically. All these, added to the weight of the burden he had to carry till he died. It was the darkest moment of his life.

Although the statement that announced the annulment of Abiola’s election came from the presidency, it was not signed. Even though he was the presidential spokesman, he stopped or was prevented from signing any statement after that on behalf of the presidency or the government again. His loyalty was suspect.

After June 12, he couldn’t settle at anything. He wrote columns for the Sun Newspapers, but the situation was never the same again.

He was very aware that, to many Nigerians, the June 12 election annulment and the subsequent killings that followed were the greatest injustice that was ever perpetrated against an individual and the nation. To this day, Nigerians still look back to the election with nostalgia, but Onabule, despite not being one of the decision makers bore the responsibility till the end.

His forte and first love was journalism, and he excelled in it as he rose to the pinnacle of the profession as an Editor. Although he was not born with any superhero qualities, but he was a brilliant journalist.

According to Chief Eric Teniola, who was the Chief Press Secretary to then Governor of Old Ondo State,  Commodore Olabode George, Onabule was very protective of his boss.

Teniola recalled when Babangida paid an official visit to Ondo state in 1987 and one of the drivers in the presidential convoy crushed someone to death.

 “The pressmen got wind of it and went to interview the man’s family and relatives. But I was able to convince them to drop the story. I told them that that was the first day of Babangida’s visit, and that if they reported it, it was going to mar the whole event. It is not as if I asked them to kill the story. I just didn’t want them to blow it up and make it the main story. Most of the boys were ready to cooperate with us.

“But there were two – I don’t want to mention their names – who didn’t want to do so. One was from Daily Times and the other from The Nigerian Observer. They felt that the story was more important than the state visit. So, I was in a panic. I met Egbon and told him what was at stake. He said, don’t worry. He asked me to call those correspondents. I did. He didn’t appeal to them. He gave them an order not to publish the story as long as the General was around.”

Teniola said that because he was an ex-Daily Times man, he believed that he could talk to any journalist. He said, ‘I don’t want that story.’ That was how the story ended.

He stressed that the former presidential spokesman was highly principled. “He was a Zikist to the core. He wore the badge of Zikism to the end. He believed in Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe as one of the great pillars of this country.”

Born into Muslim family, he was named Ganiyu Durowaiye Onabule. Not many people knew that he was called Ganiyu. Not many know this aspect of him and he never exhibited it.

The former presidential spokesman died at 83 last Tuesday. He was born in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun state, on September 27, 1939. He attended CMS Grammar School and School of Journalism, London.

He started working as a journalist for Daily Express in 1961 and later joined Daily Sketch three years later. He was said to have returned to Daily Express after working with Daily Sketch for a period.

In 1969, he served as the London correspondent of the Express and in the mid-1970s, he worked for the Daily Times, rising to become a deputy editor. In 1984 when Concord press was established, Onabule was appointed Features Editor and rose to become Editor of the National Concord newspaper.

Reacting to the death of the veteran journalist, President Muhammadu Buhari, in a statement by his Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, condoled with the former military leader, General Ibrahim Babangida, the Nigeria Union of Journalists and the Nigerian Guild of Editors over the sad loss.

He noted the commendable contributions of the respected journalist to the development of Nigeria, especially his role in stimulating robust debates with insightful articles while working variously as Editor of National Concord and Chairman, Board of Directors of Nigerian Television Authority (NTA).

Also reacting, General Babangida said with the demise of his former CPS, he has lost an elder brother. Babangida, in a statement, noted that Onabule was not only his Adviser-in-Chief but was one of his administration’s brain boxes in and out of office.

The statement said: “The news of the passing on of Duro Onabule came to me as a rude shock. It was a bad birthday gift for me this year; my 81st year on mother earth. I didn’t believe the news until I compared notes with a few of my friends who confirmed the sad news.

“I am downcast wondering why my triple chief didn’t give me a chance to say goodbye. Nigeria has lost a colossus, a wordsmith, a walking encyclopedia, a reservoir of knowledge and a rich chronicler of history, whose worldview is defined by sheer intellect, content and character. Nigeria has lost Duro Onabule.

“He was an epitome of what the Yoruba would refer to as “Omoluabi,” due to his spartan lifestyle, discipline, a knack for excellence, uncommon patriotism and remarkable and unalloyed loyalty to friends, associates, colleagues and fellow professionals. He was not just my Adviser-in-Chief, he was one of our brain boxes, in and out of office.

“While in government, Duro was the first to reach me daily to discuss reports and happenings in the country. He was a Chief Press Secretary par excellence. He was exemplary. He was punctual and adopted the military way of doing things; especially time management.

“His rich experience during our time in government helped in no small measure in our decision-making processes. He was a nationalist par excellence. He was a dear friend.”

On his part, Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun state, in a condolence statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Kunle Somorin, said: “I received the news of one of the finest journalists Nigeria can boast of, with great shock. He remained a trailblazer in his profession, who proved his mettle while serving as the spokesman of the IBB’s regime.

“Though his death is a national loss, we, in Ogun, will feel the vacuum most. No doubt, one of our illustrious sons and gift to Nigeria is gone, he shall be sorely missed.

“On behalf of my family, the government and the people of Ogun State, I commiserate with the immediate family of late Onabule and his hometown of Ijebu Ode.