President Bola Tinubu and First Lady Oluremi Tinubu attended the national premiere of MKO, a feature-length documentary chronicling the life, political career and legacy of late businessman and politician Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola.

The premiere was held on Thursday, October 1, 2026, at the Wole Soyinka National Theatre in Iganmu, Lagos, as part of activities marking Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary. Reports from the venue showed the President and First Lady arriving for the screening as guests observed the national anthem.

Directed by Nigerian-American filmmaker Ose Oyamendan, MKO examines some of the defining events surrounding Abiola’s political journey, particularly the June 12, 1993 presidential election, its annulment by the military government and the pro-democracy struggle that followed.

The documentary also examines Abiola’s detention and his death in custody in 1998, while presenting accounts from people connected to the events surrounding his political struggle and final years.

According to the Sheffield DocFest record, the film features archival material and access to several prominent figures connected to the story, including former military leaders Ibrahim Babangida and Abdulsalami Abubakar, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka and members of the Abiola family.

The film had its world premiere at Sheffield DocFest in the United Kingdom in June 2026, where it was selected for the festival’s International Competition.

The Nigerian premiere comes more than three decades after the annulment of the June 12 election, an event that triggered a prolonged political crisis and pro-democracy campaign across the country.

Abiola was widely regarded as the winner of the 1993 presidential election, which was annulled by the military government. He was subsequently detained after declaring his mandate, and died in custody on July 7, 1998, shortly before he was expected to be released.

Oyamendan’s documentary revisits the events surrounding that period while drawing on archival records and interviews. Reports on the film have noted that it examines competing accounts surrounding Abiola’s death without presenting an unsupported conclusion about its cause.

The documentary is scheduled for nationwide cinema release from October 2, 2026, following the Independence Day premiere in Lagos.

The screening brought renewed attention to Abiola’s place in Nigeria’s political history and the unresolved questions surrounding the June 12 election and the democratic struggle that followed.

Reporting by TalkNaijaMedia