By Adesina Quadri Ademola
The documentary on the life and political struggle of late business mogul and politician Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola is now showing in 48 cinemas across Nigeria, bringing the history of the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election to a wider audience.
The 108-minute film, titled MKO, was directed by Nigerian-American filmmaker Ose Oyamendan and distributed by Nile Entertainment.
It premiered at the National Theatre, Lagos, on October 1, before opening commercially in cinemas the following day. The documentary is currently in its second week of theatrical release, with screenings scheduled between October 9 and 15.
The film is showing in several cities, including Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Benin City, Enugu, Ibadan, Ilorin, Kaduna, Jos, Abeokuta, Asaba, Awka, Owerri, Ile-Ife, Ekpoma and Ede.
Major cinema operators screening the documentary include Filmhouse, Genesis, Silverbird, Nile and EbonyLife, alongside independent theatres.
In Lagos, screening venues include EbonyLife in Victoria Island, Filmhouse Landmark, Genesis Maryland, Silverbird Galleria, Silverbird Ikeja, Nile x Viva Ikeja and Ozone Yaba.
Audiences in Abuja can watch the film at The Jays, Silverbird Jabi and Silverbird SEC Abuja, while cinemas in Benin City and Ekpoma are also showing the documentary.
The nationwide distribution marks a significant stage in a filmmaking project that reportedly took Oyamendan about 13 years to complete, with more than $1 million invested in bringing the story to the screen.
MKO chronicles Abiola’s political journey, the June 12, 1993 presidential election widely regarded as having been won by him, its annulment and the struggle for democratic restoration that followed.
The annulment triggered a major political crisis and became one of the defining events in Nigeria’s democratic history. June 12 subsequently emerged as a lasting symbol of the country’s struggle for democracy.
Speaking at the Lagos premiere, the Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, highlighted the importance of preserving the history for younger generations.
“For too many young Nigerians, June 12 is simply a public holiday,” she said. “This film turns it back into our memory.”
For Oyamendan, the project also has a personal connection to Abiola, whose Concord newspaper group provided the platform for the filmmaker’s early journalism career at Weekend Concord.
He later pursued advocacy and filmmaking in the United States but remained committed to documenting Abiola’s life and the events surrounding the disputed election.
The documentary’s distribution across 48 cinemas is notable in a market where fictional features and comedy productions often dominate theatrical releases.
Its nationwide screening is expected to bring the June 12 experience closer to Nigerians who were either unborn or too young to understand the political tensions surrounding the election and its annulment.
More than three decades after the historic poll, the film offers audiences an opportunity to revisit Abiola’s political legacy and the sacrifices associated with Nigeria’s democratic struggle, moving the story beyond newspaper archives, history books and annual commemorations to cinema screens across the country.
