President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, accompanied by First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, on Thursday attended the national premiere of MKO, a documentary chronicling the life, political struggle and enduring legacy of the late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola and the historic June 12 pro-democracy struggle.
The premiere, held at the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts, was part of activities marking Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary.
Produced by US-based filmmaker Ose Oyamendan, MKO documents the events surrounding the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election and the subsequent struggle by Nigerians and pro-democracy activists for the restoration of democratic governance.
The event attracted senior government officials and other dignitaries, including Senate President Godswill Akpabio; Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas; Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq; Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun; Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang; and Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila.
Also in attendance were the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole; Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Joseph Utsev; members of the National Assembly; former Ogun State Governor Olusegun Osoba; and other dignitaries.
Welcoming the President and guests, the Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, said the documentary was an important effort to preserve a significant chapter in Nigeria’s political history.
Musawa said the film chronicles the events leading to the June 12, 1993 presidential election, its annulment by the military authorities, Abiola’s arrest in 1994 after declaring his mandate and his death in detention in 1998.
“This documentary is in honour of the heroes of June 12, the men and women who gave their lives for the mandate of June 12, 1993 and for the democracy Nigeria enjoys today,” she said.
She said documenting the events surrounding June 12 was necessary to ensure that younger Nigerians understand the sacrifices that preceded the country’s democratic journey.
“It is imperative that we document the untold stories about the events surrounding the June 12, 1993 presidential election, adjudged one of Nigeria’s freest and fairest elections,” Musawa said.
According to her, the stories must be preserved because “the democracy we enjoy today came at a precious price.”
She urged Nigerians to remain committed to protecting democratic institutions and ensuring that the will of the people is respected.
In his remarks, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, paid tribute to Nigerians who lost their lives or suffered persecution, detention, exile and other forms of repression during the struggle for democracy.
After leading the gathering in a minute’s silence for those who died during the struggle, Onanuga said their sacrifices must remain part of Nigeria’s national memory.
“We remember those who were imprisoned without trial, those imprisoned for being accessories to a coup d’etat, those driven into exile, those who lost their livelihoods, and those whose homes and businesses were attacked because they refused to surrender their democratic convictions,” he said.
Onanuga also paid tribute to journalists, lawyers, students, workers, academics and Nigerians in the diaspora who contributed to the struggle.
“We honour journalist James Bagauda Kaltho, other journalists, and media organisations that defied clampdowns, arrests, kidnapping and seizures of publications to keep the June 12 struggle alive,” he said.
He also acknowledged the role played by members of the labour movement, particularly the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), in sustaining pressure for the restoration of democracy.
“We remember the lawyers who defended detainees, the students who staged countless protests on the streets and on their campuses, the workers, especially members of NUPENG, who withdrew their labour, the academics who gave the struggle a voice, and the Nigerians in the diaspora who mobilised international support for the sanctity of our democracy,” Onanuga said.
He described the documentary as both a tribute to Abiola and a reminder of the collective sacrifices made by Nigerians in defence of democratic choice.
“We remember the countless unnamed Nigerians who filled the streets, endured hardship and stood firm in defence of the mandate freely given on June 12, 1993,” he said.
“Many paid the supreme price. Many carried wounds that history may never fully record. Their sacrifice was not in vain.”
Onanuga said Abiola, who became the symbol of the June 12 struggle, had now been officially recognised as the winner of the 1993 election.
He said Nigeria’s democratic experience since 1999 must be protected by ensuring that the people’s freely expressed will is respected.
“The democracy we enjoy today was built upon the courage and sacrifices of the people we have identified. We owe them more than remembrance. We owe them a duty to ensure that no authority ever again overturns the freely expressed will of Nigerians,” he said.
The documentary’s producer, Ose Oyamendan, commended President Tinubu for what he described as his support for democratic principles and for supporting the project.
Oyamendan recalled interviewing Tinubu when he was a senator in 1992, noting that their relationship had continued over the years.
He thanked the individuals and organisations that contributed to the production of the documentary and helped bring the project to completion.
The premiere offered government officials, political leaders and other dignitaries an opportunity to reflect on the events of June 12 and the sacrifices that shaped Nigeria’s return to democratic rule.
MKO is expected to preserve the history of the June 12 struggle and provide younger Nigerians with an opportunity to understand the personalities, events and sacrifices that shaped the country’s democratic journey.