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 movement.
News Point Nigeria reports that the premiere, held at the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts, Abuja, was organised as part of activities marking Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary.
The documentary, produced by US-based filmmaker Ose Oyamendan, revisits the events surrounding the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, widely regarded as a watershed moment in Nigeria’s democratic history, as well as the sustained campaign by Nigerians and pro-democracy activists to restore democratic governance.
The gathering attracted senior government officials, political leaders and other dignitaries, including Senate President Godswill Akpabio; Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas; Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq; Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun; Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang; and the Chief of Staff to the President, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila.
Also present were the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole; Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Engr. Joseph Utsev; members of the National Assembly; former Ogun State Governor, Chief Olusegun Osoba; and other distinguished personalities.
The Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, welcomed President Tinubu and other guests to the premiere, describing the documentary as an important effort to preserve the history of the June 12 struggle for future generations.
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 to restore democratic governance.
Onanuga led the gathering in observing a minute’s silence in honour of those who died during the pro-democracy struggle, stressing that their sacrifices must never be forgotten.
He said the freedoms Nigerians enjoy today were secured through the courage of individuals who stood against authoritarian rule and defended the democratic mandate expressed by Nigerians on June 12, 1993.
“We remember Chief Anthony Enahoro, Pa Adekunle Ajasin, Senator Abraham Adesanya, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, Dr Beko Ransome-Kuti, Pa Alfred Rewane, Chief Frank Kokori, Rear Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu, Commodore Dan Suleiman, Chima Ubani, Chief Bola Ige, Senator Cornelius Adebayo, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, and all the leaders and members of the National Democratic Coalition, the Campaign for Democracy, the labour movement and other pro-democracy organisations,” he said.
Onanuga also honoured journalist James Bagauda Kaltho, other journalists and media organisations that continued to report the June 12 struggle despite arrests, kidnappings, seizures of publications and other forms of repression.
He extended the tribute to printers who defied security clampdowns to produce banned publications, lawyers who defended detained activists, students who participated in protests, workers—particularly members of NUPENG—who withdrew their labour, academics who gave intellectual support to the struggle, and Nigerians in the diaspora who mobilised international backing for the restoration of democratic rule.
“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,” Onanuga said.
He said MKO would serve not only as a tribute to Abiola but also as a reminder of the collective sacrifices made by Nigerians who demanded that their democratic choice be respected.
“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. Many paid the supreme price. Many carried wounds that history may never fully record,” he said.
According to Onanuga, the sacrifices of the pro-democracy activists were not in vain, noting that Nigeria has experienced continuous democratic governance since 1999 and that Abiola had been officially recognised as the winner of the June 12, 1993 election.
He commended the producers of MKO for documenting an important chapter in Nigeria’s political history and making the story accessible to a new generation.
“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.
Musawa said the documentary chronicles the events leading to the June 12, 1993 presidential election, its annulment by the military authorities, Abiola’s arrest in 1994 after he declared 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,” the minister said.
She said it was important to document previously untold stories surrounding the June 12 election, which has been described as one of Nigeria’s freest and fairest elections, so that younger generations would understand the sacrifices that preceded the country’s current democratic system.
Musawa also called for concerted efforts by Nigerians to safeguard the country’s democracy and ensure that the will of the people is not truncated again.
The documentary’s producer, Oyamendan, commended President Tinubu for what he described as his tenacity, courage and commitment to democratic principles, while acknowledging the support the President had given the project over the years.
Oyamendan, who recalled interviewing Tinubu when he was a senator in 1992, also expressed appreciation to the individuals and organisations that contributed to the production of the documentary.
MKO is expected to preserve an important chapter of Nigeria’s political history while providing younger Nigerians with an opportunity to reflect on the personalities, events and sacrifices that shaped the country’s democratic journey.