President Bola Tinubu will serve as Chief Host of the national premiere of MKO, a documentary exploring the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election and the pro-democracy struggle that followed. The film, produced by filmmaker and former journalist Ose Oyamendan, is scheduled to premiere at the National Theatre in Lagos on October 1, […]
President Bola Tinubu will serve as Chief Host of the national premiere of MKO, a documentary exploring the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election and the pro-democracy struggle that followed.
The film, produced by filmmaker and former journalist Ose Oyamendan, is scheduled to premiere at the National Theatre in Lagos on October 1, Nigeria’s Independence Day.
It will then be released nationwide in cinemas on October 2, with Nile Entertainment responsible for its distribution.
The documentary tells the story of Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, the annulled 1993 election and the political crisis that continued until Abiola died in detention in 1998.
Among those featured in the film are former military President Ibrahim Babangida, former Head of State Abdulsalami Abubakar and former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka and Babagana Kingibe, who was Abiola’s running mate in the 1993 election, also appear in the documentary.
Other participants include former US Ambassador to Nigeria Walter Carrington, former US Deputy Secretary of State Thomas Pickering, former Canadian High Commissioner Gerald Ohlsen, Abiola’s family members and foreign journalists.
The film also features Theodore Zadok, who served as Abiola’s security guard during his detention and recounts aspects of the final period of Abiola’s life.
Oyamendan described Tinubu’s decision to serve as Chief Host as significant, citing the President’s involvement in the pro-democracy struggle that followed the election’s annulment.
The filmmaker said the documentary examines the choices made by political actors during the crisis and the consequences of those decisions.
Before the Lagos premiere, the documentary will be previewed internationally on September 23 at American University in Washington, D.C.
The event, titled Democracy Denied: Nigeria’s Annulled 1993 Election and Its Lasting Legacies, will focus on the annulment, its democratic legacy and lessons for electoral institutions.
The film had its world premiere on June 12 at the Sheffield International Documentary Festival and is scheduled for further screenings in Europe and North America.
Nile Entertainment Managing Director Moses Babatope said the documentary would help preserve the history of the June 12 struggle for younger generations.