A new documentary exploring the life of late businessman and politician Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola and the events surrounding the annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election will debut in Nigerian cinemas on October 2.
Titled MKO, the documentary was directed by Ose Oyamendan and produced by American filmmaker Mark Jonathan Harris.
The film examines the political turmoil that followed the annulment of the election, which Abiola was widely believed to have won. It also chronicles his subsequent arrest and detention, as well as his death in 1998.
According to Oyamendan, the documentary was developed as an investigative account based largely on testimonies from individuals who witnessed the events surrounding the June 12 crisis.
He said the production goes beyond Abiola’s personal story to examine the wider political circumstances and international interests surrounding the annulment of the election.
Oyamendan explained that the documentary features accounts from presidents, diplomats, politicians, activists, members of Abiola’s family and journalists who experienced the events firsthand.
Among those interviewed for the film are former military leader Ibrahim Babangida, whose administration annulled the election, and former Head of State Abdulsalami Abubakar, who was in office when Abiola died.
Other contributors include former US diplomat Thomas Pickering, who led an American delegation that met with Abiola; Theodore Zadok, a former prison guard who watched over him; and Walter Carrington, former United States Ambassador to Nigeria.
Nobel laureate and pro-democracy activist Wole Soyinka, Amnesty International Managing Director Adotei Akwei, members of Abiola’s family and journalists who reported on the political crisis also feature in the documentary.
Nile Entertainment, the production company behind the project, said MKO revisits a pivotal chapter in Nigeria’s democratic history while examining the man at the centre of the struggle.
Abiola’s victory in the June 12, 1993, presidential election was annulled by the military government, sparking widespread protests and a prolonged political crisis across the country.
After declaring his presidential mandate, Abiola was arrested and detained for several years. He died in July 1998, shortly after the death of military ruler Sani Abacha.
MKO is scheduled to open in cinemas across Nigeria on October 2.
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