To know the story of Chief David Ogaba Attah is to journey through the heart of 20th-century Nigeria, its political awakenings, its military storms, and its resilient spirit. He was a man whose career traced the very evolution of the Nigerian media and political landscape, from the first coup d’état to the birth of the Fourth Republic. For five tumultuous years, he served as the public voice for one of Nigeria’s most controversial rulers, General Sani Abacha, navigating a role that placed him at the center of a complex and dark chapter in the nation’s history.
A Pen That Wrote Its Own Destiny
David Attah’s life began with the kind of humble ambition that defines self-made men. Born in Igumale, in present-day Benue State, his desire for a university education was thwarted by a lack of funds. With characteristic resolve, the young Attah sold his prized possession a radiogram to raise money for his education at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
His natural flair for writing led him to the Daily Times, where he began reporting even while still a student. This was the apprenticeship that would forge a pioneering journalist. In an era when professional journalism in Northern Nigeria was still nascent, Attah was a vanguard. His skill was such that he witnessed history firsthand, famously interviewing Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu on the very day of Nigeria’s first military coup on January 15, 1966.
His talents as a builder of institutions soon became evident. Appointed General Manager of the Benue-Plateau Publishing Company, publishers of the Nigeria Standard in Jos, he transformed it into a leading voice in the North. He was an editor’s editor, who recruited and mentored a generation of media giants, including the legendary Dan Agbese. He launched pioneering publications like the Sunday Standard, the first Sunday newspaper in Northern Nigeria and a witty comic paper called Pappy Joe. His vision extended beyond print, as he founded a football club, the Jos Highlanders Football Club now known as Plateau United to build community and even oversaw the construction of a ten-story edifice, the JD Gomwalk House, the tallest in Jos at the time, for the newspaper.
The Parliamentarian and the Publisher
Attah’s integrity and leadership made him a natural for politics. In the Second Republic, he was elected to the House of Representatives in 1979, representing old Okpokwu under the banner of the Nigerian People’s Party (NPP). Respected for his intellect and principles, he was so influential that he came close to being elected Speaker.
When the Second Republic collapsed in 1983, Attah returned to his first love: journalism. He took over the Nigeria Voice newspaper, revitalizing it with new talent and purpose, which led to his appointment as Benue State Commissioner for Information. He later co-founded Focus, the first monthly newsmagazine in central Nigeria, cementing his legacy as a pillar of independent media.
The Summons from Aso Rock
Then came the pivotal moment that would define his public legacy. In late 1993, after General Sani Abacha seized power, soldiers arrived unexpectedly in Attah’s hometown of Igumale. The community feared the worst; that the new dictator had come to arrest a respected voice of dissent. The reality was more complex. Abacha, who had met Attah years earlier at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) in Kuru, had a different mission: to recruit him.
Against this backdrop of national anxiety, Attah was taken to Lagos. Within 24 hours, he was announced as the Chief Press Secretary to the Head of State. It was an appointment that would cast him into the eye of a historic storm.
Voice for a Repressive Regime
For the next five years, David Attah was the official conduit between General Abacha’s government and the Nigerian people and world. This period, from 1993 to 1998, is remembered as one of the most repressive in Nigerian history.
The regime was marked by the annulment of democratic aspirations, the imprisonment of the acclaimed winner of the 1993 presidential election, Moshood Abiola, and pro-democracy activists like Olusegun Obasanjo. It was notorious for human rights abuses, culminating in the internationally condemned execution of environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa and the Eight Ogoni in 1995. The regime was also engulfed in allegations of kleptocracy on an unprecedented scale, with billions of dollars of state funds allegedly looted.
As CPS, Attah’s daily task was to articulate and defend the actions of this government. He was the calm, measured voice reading statements that often contained unpalatable news. His continued service through this period suggests a man who believed in the institution of the state, perhaps hoping to be a moderating influence or a professional fulfilling a duty to his country in a time of crisis.
His role extended beyond that of a spokesman. He was trusted with sensitive responsibilities, such as chairing the burial committee for the first President of Nigeria, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, demonstrating the regime’s respect for his stature and organizational skill.
The Later Years
Following Abacha’s sudden death in June 1998, Attah continued to serve, bridging the transition to democracy as Chief Press Secretary to the next and final military head of state, General Abdulsalami Abubakar. With the return to civilian rule in 1999, he became a founding member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), remaining active in politics as an elder statesman.
Chief David Ogaba Attah, the Ondoma K’Idoma, passed away on July 4, 2017, at the age of 71 in Jos. He was remembered by presidential spokesman Femi Adesina as “a huge loss to both the nation and the media industry,” a journalist who “carved a niche for himself” and was “a strong voice in the nation’s political terrain”.
His life presents a profound narrative of service shrouded in moral complexity.