An investigative documentary about the life, political fight, and death of Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola will have its world premiere at the 2026 Sheffield DocFest in the UK on 12 June.
Titled MKO, the film is directed by Nigerian filmmaker and former journalist Ose Oyemandan. It has been chosen for the festival’s International Competition section.
The filmmakers say the documentary looks into the annulment of the 12 June 1993 presidential election, Abiola's detention, and the unresolved issues surrounding his death in custody in 1998.
Democracy Day premiere
This premiere happens on Nigeria’s Democracy Day, a day that marks Abiola’s election win before the military government canceled it.
PREMIUM TIMES has previously mentioned the importance of the June 12 election and how it became known as Democracy Day. The election is seen as the freest and fairest in Nigeria’s history and is a key moment in the country’s democratic journey.
Abiola, a businessman and politician, was arrested in 1994 after he declared himself president following the annulment of the election. He spent four years in detention before dying on 7 July 1998.
The documentary mixes old footage, interviews, and investigative reporting to revisit a significant moment in Nigeria’s political history.
Questions surrounding Abiola’s death
The producers say the film looks into the long-standing questions about how Abiola died during a meeting with American diplomats led by former United States Undersecretary of State, Thomas Pickering.
The documentary revisits different accounts of what happened that day and explores claims that have fueled public debate for many years.
The filmmakers describe the project as an investigative documentary that merges journalism with aspects of a political thriller.
Interviews
The film features interviews with key figures involved in the June 12 struggle and its aftermath.
Interviewees include former military president Ibrahim Babangida, former Head of State Abdulsalami Abubakar, former U.S. diplomat Thomas Pickering, Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka, members of the Abiola family, and former diplomats and journalists who reported on the political crisis.
The documentary also shares views from human rights advocates and people who played different roles during Nigeria’s shift to civilian rule.
Personal connection
Mr Oyemandan says his interest in this story comes from his time as a young journalist for publications owned by Abiola during the political crisis of the 1990s.
After the election was annulled and pro-democracy voices were silenced, he left Nigeria. He later worked with international human rights groups, and those experiences helped shape the documentary.
Produced by Veronique Bernard, MKO is a joint project involving Nigeria, the UK, Canada, and the US.
The 108-minute documentary will premiere at Sheffield DocFest on 12 June, the same day Nigeria remembers Democracy Day in honor of Abiola’s annulled 1993 election victory. The screening is part of the festival’s International Competition section.
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