Presidency mourns state house media aide

September 14, 2026 9:06 pm

The Presidency has described the death of the Assistant Director of Information and Public Relations in the Presidential Villa, Peter Onwubuariri, as a major loss to President Bola Tinubu and the State House media department.

The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, stated this on Monday during a condolence visit to the deceased’s family in Abuja.

Onanuga led presidential media aides and members of the Media and Public Relations Department to the family.

A statement by the Director of Information and Public Relations, State House, Abiodun Oladunjoye, said the delegation expressed sympathy to the family and described Onwubuariri as a hardworking and dependable professional who contributed to the department’s work.

Onanuga said the deceased’s contributions, including his role as master of ceremonies at presidential events, would be missed.

“We are here to condole with the deceased’s family. Peter’s death is a big loss to the department, even to the President of Nigeria, and that is why a statement was issued to that effect.

“His death has created a vacuum that will be difficult to fill. I remember Peter at times played the role of MC at Presidential events, and he was very good at that; a professional par excellence, he was a very good writer. His death is a big loss to the entire department, and we are going to miss him very much,” Onanuga said.

Onanuga assured the family that the Presidency would continue to identify with them and provide necessary support during the mourning period.

Also speaking, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Special Duties, Tunde Rahman, described Onwubuariri as a workaholic who consistently delivered excellent work.

“Peter was like a friend to me; I know him as a workaholic. There was never a time that we gave him an assignment that did not turn out excellently. That was the kind of quality and calibre of a staff member that Peter was. I was not surprised that he fell in love with the job because he derived so much satisfaction from being a media person.

“In him, we had an editor in the Media and Publicity Department, and as I said earlier, while I spoke, the message and lesson I derive from this is to use the occasion to remind media personnel to prioritise their health while on the job,” Rahman said.

Former President Muhammadu Buhari’s Special Assistant on New Media, Bashir Ahmad, also expressed shock over Onwubuariri’s death, describing him as a dependable partner and praying for the repose of his soul.

Speaking on behalf of the family, the deceased’s elder sister, Amarachi Nwanguma, thanked the presidential media team for its support and solidarity.

She said the family would contact the Presidency on burial arrangements once consultations were concluded.

The deceased’s eldest child, Adaora Onwubuariri, a Computer Science undergraduate, also thanked the team for its support.

“I am just grateful to everybody here today. I think I learned the true meaning of the saying that no man is an island; I am very grateful for his bosses, colleagues, and friends who have been there for us throughout this past year.

“I am very grateful, and I have truly learned that my father was a very good man. I have always known that but today is a confirmation,” she said.

Princess Etuk

Princess Etuk is a journalist at Punch Newspapers with over five years of experience covering national development and the economy. She focuses on public policy, infrastructure, agriculture, and related sectors, producing insightful features and exclusive reports. Princess’s work reflects a strong commitment to accountability journalism, sectoral development reporting, and informed public dialogue.

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