By Our Reporter 

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has joined other Nigerians in honouring the men and women who fought for the restoration of democratic rule as he attended the national premiere of MKO, a documentary chronicling the life of the late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola and the historic June 12, 1993 pro-democracy struggle.

President Tinubu, accompanied by First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, attended the screening at the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts as part of activities marking Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary.

Produced by US-based filmmaker Ose Oyamendan, the documentary examines Abiola’s political journey, the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election and the prolonged struggle by Nigerians and pro-democracy activists to restore the democratic mandate.

The premiere brought together senior government officials, members of the National Assembly, political leaders and other prominent Nigerians, including Senate President Godswill Akpabio; Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas; Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq; Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun; Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang and Chief of Staff to the President, Rt Hon Femi Gbajabiamila.

Also present were the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole; Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Engr Joseph Utsev; former Ogun State Governor, Chief Olusegun Osoba; members of the National Assembly and other dignitaries.

The Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, welcomed the President and guests to the premiere, describing the documentary as an important effort to preserve the history of the June 12 struggle and its significance to Nigeria’s democratic development.

The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, led the gathering in observing a minute’s silence in honour of Nigerians who lost their lives or suffered persecution, detention, exile and other forms of repression during the struggle for the restoration of democracy.

Onanuga said the sacrifices of pro-democracy activists must remain part of Nigeria’s national memory, stressing that the freedoms enjoyed under the current democratic system were secured through the courage and sacrifices of many Nigerians.

He specifically remembered prominent figures associated with Nigeria’s democratic struggle, including Chief Anthony Enahoro, Pa Adekunle Ajasin, Senator Abraham Adesanya, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, Dr Beko Ransome-Kuti, Pa Alfred Rewane, Chief Frank Kokori, Rear Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu, Commodore Dan Suleiman, Chima Ubani, Chief Bola Ige, Senator Cornelius Adebayo, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Alhaji Balarabe Musa and the late Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona.

He also honoured members of the National Democratic Coalition, the Campaign for Democracy, the labour movement and other pro-democracy organisations that participated in the struggle.

Onanuga paid particular tribute to journalists and media organisations that continued to report the pro-democracy campaign despite arrests, seizures of publications and other forms of repression.

He mentioned journalist James Bagauda Kaltho and other media practitioners, as well as printers who continued producing banned publications despite the security clampdown.

He also remembered lawyers who defended detained activists, students who participated in street and campus protests, workers, particularly members of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, academics and Nigerians in the Diaspora who helped mobilise international support for the democratic struggle.

According to him, many Nigerians were imprisoned without trial, forced into exile, lost their livelihoods or suffered attacks on their homes and businesses because they refused to abandon their democratic convictions.

Onanuga said the documentary was not merely a tribute to Abiola but also a reminder of the collective sacrifice of Nigerians who demanded that their votes and democratic choices be respected.

“We remember the countless unnamed Nigerians who filled the streets, endured hardship and stood firm in defence of the mandate freely given on June 12, 1993. Many paid the supreme price. Many carried wounds that history may never fully record,” he said.

He said the sacrifices contributed to the restoration of democratic rule, adding that Nigeria had maintained uninterrupted civilian government since 1999.

Onanuga also noted that Abiola had been officially recognised as the winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, describing the development as an important part of the country’s effort to acknowledge the historical significance of the election.

He commended the producers of MKO for documenting the period and making its history accessible to a younger generation.

“The democracy we enjoy today was built upon the courage and sacrifices of the people we have identified. We owe them more than remembrance. We owe them a duty to ensure that no authority ever again overturns the freely expressed will of Nigerians,” Onanuga said.

Minister Musawa said the documentary traced the events surrounding the June 12, 1993 presidential election, its annulment by the military authorities, Abiola’s arrest in 1994 after declaring his mandate and his death in detention in 1998.

She described the film as a tribute to the heroes of June 12 and the Nigerians who sacrificed their lives and livelihoods in the struggle for democratic rule.

“This documentary is in honour of the heroes of June 12, the men and women who gave their lives for the mandate of June 12, 1993 and for the democracy Nigeria enjoys today,” she said.

Musawa said there was a need to document more of the untold stories surrounding the June 12 election so that younger Nigerians would understand that the country’s present democratic system came at a significant cost.

She also called for collective vigilance in protecting democracy and ensuring that the will of Nigerians expressed through elections was respected.

Oyamendan, the producer of the documentary, commended President Tinubu for what he described as his commitment to democratic principles and thanked individuals and organisations that supported the production.

Reflecting on his longstanding relationship with the President, Oyamendan recalled interviewing Tinubu when he was a senator in 1992, a year before the June 12 presidential election.