President Bola Tinubu and several senior government officials attended the national premiere of MKO, a documentary chronicling the life, political journey and legacy of late businessman, publisher and politician Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, as reported by Arise News and ChannelsTv. The premiere was held on October 1 at the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts in Iganmu, Lagos, as part of activities marking Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary. Tinubu attended alongside First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun, Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and other senior officials.
Directed by Nigerian American filmmaker Ose Oyamendan, MKO revisits Abiola’s rise as a businessman, publisher and political figure, with particular focus on the June 12, 1993 presidential election, its annulment by the military government, his subsequent detention and the pro democracy struggle that followed. The documentary draws on archival footage and first hand accounts from several personalities connected to the period, including former military leaders Ibrahim Babangida and Abdulsalami Abubakar, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka and Abiola’s running mate, Baba Gana Kingibe. The film previously had its international premiere at the Sheffield International Documentary Festival in the United Kingdom in June 2026.
The Lagos premiere places MKO at the intersection of cinema, cultural preservation and Nigeria’s democratic history, bringing a defining chapter of the country’s political journey to contemporary audiences. At the event, government officials and the filmmaker highlighted the importance of preserving the experiences and sacrifices associated with the June 12 struggle for younger generations. The documentary is scheduled for nationwide cinema release on October 2, giving audiences across Nigeria an opportunity to engage with Abiola’s story and the events surrounding one of the most consequential moments in the country’s modern political history.
