Tinubu, Akpabio, Sanwo-Olu and others at MKO documentary launch

President Bola Tinubu, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and Chief of Staff to the President Femi Gbajabiamila attended the national launch of MKO, a documentary about the life and political legacy of the late businessman and politician Moshood (MKO) Abiola.

The launch took place on Thursday at the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts in Iganmu, Lagos. This event was part of activities celebrating Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary.

Mr Tinubu served as Chief Host of the launch, and he attended the event with First Lady Oluremi Tinubu.

View of the National theatre hall for the MKO Documentary

Dignitaries Present

Other attendees included Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun, Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Benjamin Kalu, Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy Hannatu Musawa, and former Ogun State Governor Segun Osoba.

The documentary’s director and producer, Nigerian-American filmmaker Ose Oyamendan, was also present.

A video shared by presidential aide Dada Olusegun showed Mr Tinubu and the First Lady entering the venue as a band played the national anthem.

Tinubu’s Role in June 12 Struggle

Speaking about the launch, Mr Oyamendan honored Mr Tinubu and remembered his role in the fight against military rule after the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election.

Mr Oyamendan stated it was an honor for the film team that Mr Tinubu agreed to be Chief Host. He added that Mr Tinubu’s role went beyond just attending the launch.

The filmmaker said Mr Tinubu was one of those who fought for the recognition of the June 12 mandate during military rule.

According to Mr Oyamendan, the documentary looks at the choices made by political leaders during the crisis and the impact of those choices on Nigeria.

He noted that Mr Tinubu “risked his life, livelihood and his family’s safety by standing with the people’s mandate.”

Mr Oyamendan mentioned that the documentary is not just about Mr Abiola but also about the fight that shaped Nigeria’s democratic journey.

He added that 33 years after June 12, the documentary gives Nigerians a chance to revisit what happened, understand its significance, and think about its effects on the country’s democracy.

Documentary Revisits June 12

MKO tells the story of Mr Abiola’s life, his political career, and his legacy, focusing on the June 12, 1993 presidential election, its annulment by the military, and the pro-democracy struggle that followed.

The documentary also looks at Mr Abiola’s detention and the events surrounding his death in custody in 1998.

A section of the MKO documentary

It mixes old footage with personal stories from people involved in the events.

Featured in the documentary are former military leaders Ibrahim Babangida and Abdulsalami Abubakar, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka, and Mr Abiola’s running mate from the 1993 election, Baba Gana Kingibe.

Other contributors include former United States Ambassador to Nigeria Walter Carrington, former US Deputy Secretary of State Thomas Pickering, former Canadian High Commissioner Gerald Ohlsen, members of the Abiola family, foreign journalists, and Theodore Zadok, who was Mr Abiola’s security guard during his detention.

President Tinubu is also shown in the documentary, discussing his role in the pro-democracy movement at that time.

Personal Connection

The documentary includes Mr Oyamendan’s own experience during the June 12 period.

As a young journalist with Weekend Concord during the crisis, he has used old materials and interviews with key figures to tell Mr Abiola’s story and the events of the annulment.

Mr Oyamendan mentioned that the film’s rich archives and testimonies offer a close look at one of the most important times in Nigeria’s political history.

The 108-minute documentary had its international premiere at the Sheffield International Documentary Festival in the UK on June 12, before its Nigerian premiere in Lagos.

Cinema Opening

After Thursday’s national premiere, MKO is set to open in cinemas across Nigeria starting Friday, October 2.

Nile Entertainment is in charge of the film’s distribution in Nigeria.

The distributor’s Managing Director, Moses Babatope, said this project is especially significant to him because his father worked at Concord Newspapers, one of the media outlets founded by Abiola.

Mr Babatope believes the documentary will help keep an important part of Nigeria’s political history alive and make it available to younger Nigerians who did not live through the June 12 crisis.

The choice of October 1 for the national premiere connects Abiola’s story and the June 12 struggle with Nigeria’s Independence Day celebrations. This event brings together the country’s independence history, the June 12 political crisis, and the fight for democracy in a single national screening.