Documentary in honour of MKO Abiola, other heroes of June 12 premiered

By Stephen Oladele

A documentary film titled “MKO” produced in honour of acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, Late Moshood Abiola and other heroes of the June 12 struggle has been premiered. 

The premiere which is part of activities commemorating Nigeria 66th Independence anniversary was attended by President Bola Tinubu and his wife, Remi. 

The President’s attendance at the premiere, according to a statement by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, underscored the importance his administration attaches to preserving Nigeria’s democratic history and honouring the men and women whose courage helped pave the way for the country’s current democratic system.

The screening which took place at the Wole a Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts also had many other top government functionaries in attendance

The film produced by US-based filmmaker Ose Oyamendan chronicles the life, political struggle and enduring legacy of the late Abiola and the historic June 12 pro-democracy struggle. 

It recounts the events surrounding the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, widely regarded as a watershed in Nigeria’s democratic history, and the campaign by Nigerians and pro-democracy activists to restore democratic governance.

The top government officials and other dignitaries that were also in attendance are 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; Governor of Lagos State Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Governor of Ogun State Dapo Abiodun; Governor of Plateau State Caleb Mutfwang; and Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila.

They also include 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 Governor of Ogun State Chief Olusegun Osoba; and other distinguished personalities.

The Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, welcomed the President and other guests to the premiere.

The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Onanuga, paid tribute to Nigerians who lost their lives or suffered persecution, detention, exile and other forms of repression during the struggle for the restoration of democracy.

After leading the gathering in observing a minute’s silence in memory of those who lost their lives in the democratic struggle, Mr Onanuga said the sacrifices of pro-democracy activists must never be forgotten. He noted that the freedoms Nigerians enjoy today were secured through the courage of many individuals who stood firm against authoritarian rule.

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 “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..

 “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. We honour the printers who defied the security clampdown to print banned publications. 

“We remember and salute 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. 

” 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 stated. 

 He said the documentary would serve not only as a tribute to Chief Abiola but also as a reminder of the collective sacrifices made by Nigerians who demanded respect for the people’s 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. Many paid the supreme price. Many carried wounds that history may never fully record. Their sacrifice was not in vain, as we have had 27 years of unbroken democracy since 1999, and Chief MKO Abiola, the symbol of the struggle, has been officially acknowledged as the winner of the election, shedding the toga of ‘assumed, presumed’ winner”.

Mr Onanuga commended the producers of “MKO” for documenting an important chapter in Nigeria’s political history and making it 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”.

Minister Musawa said MKO chronicles the events leading to the 12 June 1993 presidential election, its annulment by the military authorities, Chief 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.

 Musawa said it was imperative to document the untold stories about the events surrounding the June 12, 1993 presidential election, adjudged one of Nigeria’s freest and fairest elections, so that many will know that the democracy we enjoy today came at a precious price.

 She reiterated the need for concerted effort by citizens to jealously guard the nation’s democracy and ensure that the will of the people is never again truncated.

The documentary producer, Mr Oyamendan, lauded President Tinubu for his tenacity, courage, and conviction on the principles of democracy, as well as the fatherly support he has given him over the years.

He thanked various personalities who supported the project’s realisation.

Reflecting on his relationship with the President, Mr Oyamendan recalled interviewing him as a senator in 1992. He also thanked the individuals and organisations that supported the documentary’s production.