MKO Abiola documentary to hit Nigerian cinemas in October

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MKO Abiola

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A new documentary chronicling the life of Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola and the events surrounding the annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election is set to premiere in cinemas across Nigeria on October 2.

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Titled MKO, the documentary was directed by Ose Oyamendan and produced by American filmmaker Mark Jonathan Harris.

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The film examines the political crisis that followed the disputed annulment of the election, which Abiola was widely regarded as having won, as well as his subsequent detention and death in 1998.

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Oyamendan described the project as an investigative documentary built around the testimonies of people who witnessed the events.

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“This is an investigative documentary about a man, an election, and the global conspiracy that robbed Africa’s largest democracy of her elected leader,” he said.

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The director added that the documentary was not only intended to revisit Nigeria’s political history but also to draw lessons with wider global relevance.

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“It is a story told by those who lived it — presidents, diplomats, politicians, activists, family members, and journalists. It is not just Nigerian history. It is a warning to the world,” Oyamendan said.

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The documentary features interviews with several prominent figures connected to the June 12 saga, including former military leader Ibrahim Babangida, who annulled the election, and former head of state Abdulsalami Abubakar, who was in power when Abiola died.

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Others featured include Thomas Pickering, the American diplomat who led a delegation that met with Abiola; Theodore Zadok, who served as Abiola’s prison guard; and Walter Carrington, the former United States ambassador to Nigeria.

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Pro-democracy activist and Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka, Amnesty International managing director Adotei Akwei, members of Abiola’s family, and journalists who covered the political crisis also contributed to the documentary.

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The production company, Nile Entertainment, said the film revisits “one of the most defining chapters in Nigeria’s democratic history and the man at its centre.”

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Abiola won the June 12, 1993 election, but the military government annulled the result, triggering widespread protests and a prolonged political crisis.

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He was later arrested after declaring his mandate and spent years in detention before dying in July 1998, shortly after the death of military ruler Sani Abacha.

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MKO will open in cinemas across Nigeria on October 2.

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