President Bola Tinubu on Thursday attended the official launch and premiere of MKO, a documentary on the life and legacy of late MKO Abiola.

The premiere was held at the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Creative Arts in Lagos, ahead of the documentary’s nationwide cinema release.

The film is scheduled for nationwide cinema release on Friday, bringing Mr Abiola’s political journey and democratic struggle to a wider audience.

Directed by Nigerian-American filmmaker Ose Oyamendan, MKO chronicles Mr Abiola’s life, political career and enduring place in Nigeria’s democratic history.

The documentary focuses particularly on the June 12, 1993, presidential election, which was annulled by the then military government.

It also examines Abiola’s subsequent detention and the pro-democracy struggle that followed the annulment of the election.

Mr Abiola is widely recognised as the presumed winner of the June 12 presidential election, a watershed moment in Nigeria’s democratic history.

The documentary revisits the events surrounding the election and the political crisis that followed its annulment.

It also explores the broader struggle for the restoration of democratic governance and the sacrifices made by individuals involved.

The film premiered internationally at the Sheffield International Documentary Festival in the United Kingdom in June 2026.

It features archival materials and first-hand accounts from key personalities connected with the political events surrounding the June 12 election.

The materials provide historical perspectives on Abiola’s political activities, his detention and the pro-democracy movement that emerged after the election.

The documentary’s Lagos premiere brought together senior government officials, political leaders, cultural figures and other dignitaries.

Mr Tinubu attended the event alongside the First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, highlighting the significance attached to Abiola’s place in Nigeria’s democratic history.

Also accompanying the president were Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

Others included Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, and Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.

The presidential delegation also included Deputy Senate President, Jibrin Barau, and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu.

Chief of Staff to the president, Femi Gbajabiamila, was among the senior government officials who attended the premiere.

Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, also attended the event.

Former Ogun State Governor, Segun Osoba, and other dignitaries were also present at the premiere.

The event provided an opportunity to reflect on Abiola’s political legacy and the historical events that shaped Nigeria’s return to democratic rule.

Mr Abiola’s emergence as the presumed winner of the 1993 election remains closely associated with Nigeria’s pro-democracy struggle.

His detention following the annulment became a defining episode in the campaign against continued military rule.

The documentary, therefore, places Mr Abiola’s personal story within the wider political and historical circumstances surrounding Nigeria’s democratic transition.

Its nationwide cinema release is expected to make the historical account accessible to audiences beyond those directly connected with the events.

The premiere also underscored the continuing interest in documenting major episodes that shaped Nigeria’s political development and democratic experience. 

(NAN)