President Bola Tinubu will serve as Chief Host at the national premiere of MKO, a documentary chronicling the June 12, 1993 presidential election, its annulment and the struggle that followed.

The documentary, produced by former Nigerian journalist and international filmmaker Ose Oyamendan, will premiere at the National Theatre, Lagos, on October 1, Nigeria’s Independence Day, before opening in cinemas nationwide on October 2.

The film will first receive an international preview on September 23 at American University in Washington, D.C., where it will be screened during a special conversation on democracy, elections and institutions.

Titled “Democracy Denied: Nigeria’s Annulled 1993 Election and Its Lasting Legacies,” the Washington programme will examine the annulment of the election, its democratic legacy and lessons for electoral institutions today.

MKO tells the story of Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, the businessman, publisher and politician widely associated with the June 12 election, the military government’s annulment of the poll and the political crisis that followed until his death in detention in 1998.

According to a statement announcing the Nigerian premiere, the documentary combines archival materials with first-hand accounts from key actors and witnesses to one of the most consequential periods in Nigeria’s political history.

Featured in the documentary are former military President Ibrahim Babangida, whose government annulled the election; former Head of State Abdulsalami Abubakar, who oversaw the transition to civilian rule in 1999; and former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Others include Nobel laureate and pro-democracy activist Wole Soyinka; Abiola’s running mate in the 1993 election, Babagana Kingibe; former United States Ambassador to Nigeria Walter Carrington; former US Deputy Secretary of State Thomas Pickering; former Canadian High Commissioner Gerald Ohlsen; members of Abiola’s family and foreign journalists.

The documentary also features Theodore Zadok, who served as Abiola’s security guard during his detention and recounts the final period of the politician’s life.

Oyamendan described Tinubu’s decision to serve as Chief Host as significant, recalling the President’s involvement in the struggle against military rule following the annulment of the June 12 election.

“For us, as a film team, it is an enormous honour that President Tinubu is recognising this important film as Chief Host,” he said.

Oyamendan said the documentary goes beyond Abiola’s story to examine the choices made by political actors during the crisis.

“This was a crucial point in Nigeria’s history where many of our leaders back then chose to side with the dictators. Tinubu risked his life, livelihood and his family’s safety by standing with the people’s mandate.

“This is a story of that struggle that has brought us to where we are today,” he said.

The Washington preview, eight days before the Lagos premiere, will feature Oyamendan alongside Carl LeVan of American University, Adotei Akwei of Advocacy Network for Africa and Folabi Olagbaju of Democracy Campaign/Greenpeace USA, with Nneka Achapu of the African Public Affairs Committee as moderator.

The screening will be followed by a conversation examining the democratic legacy of the annulment and lessons for electoral institutions today.

The October 1 Nigerian premiere will be followed by a nationwide theatrical release on October 2, with Nile Entertainment handling distribution.

Managing Director of Nile Entertainment, Moses Babatope, said Abiola’s story had a personal connection for him because his father worked at Concord Newspapers, one of the media organisations founded by the late politician.

“The story of MKO Abiola is particularly personal to me. My father worked at Concord Newspaper, one of the institutions founded by Chief MKO Abiola, so his legacy has always had a personal connection to my family,” he said.

Babatope said the documentary would help preserve an important part of Nigeria’s political history for younger generations.

The documentary had its world premiere on June 12 at the Sheffield International Documentary Festival and is scheduled for further screenings and theatrical releases in Europe and North America.

Oyamendan said the Nigerian premiere was particularly important because the history documented in the film ultimately belonged to Nigerians.

“This is a story that belongs to Nigerians. It is about memory, power, courage, sacrifice and the consequences of political choices.

“Most importantly, it is about people who believed that their voices mattered. Thirty-three years after June 12, we have the opportunity to look back at what happened, not simply to remember it, but to understand it and ensure it never happens again,” he said.