Ose Oyamendan, a Nigerian-American filmmaker, is set to release a documentary on the life and political struggle of the late MKO Abiola.
Abiola was widely regarded as the winner of the annulled June 12, 1993, presidential election, which is adjudged Nigeria’s freest and fairest poll.
The documentary, titled MKO, chronicles the annulment of the June 12 election, the pro-democracy struggle that followed, and Abiola’s death while in military custody.
The film features interviews with key figures connected to the events, including former head of state Ibrahim Babangida; Humphrey Nwosu, former chairman of the National Electoral Commission; Baba Gana Kingibe, Abiola’s running mate; Wole Soyinka, Nobel laureate and activist; Peter Hain, former British minister for Africa; Olusegun Obasanjo, former president; Gerald Ohlsen, former Canadian high commissioner; Abubakar Dangiwa Umar, retired army officer and pro-democracy advocate; Robin Gorham, former British deputy high commissioner; and Abdulsalami Abubakar, former head of state.
MKO is directed by Oyamendan and produced by an international team that includes Mark Jonathan Harris, a three-time Academy Award–winning documentary filmmaker, and Veronique Bernard.
Speaking on the project in a statement on Saturday, Oyamendan described the documentary as long overdue.
“It’s been a long time coming. This is an extraordinary story, and we’re excited to finally begin sharing it with the world,” he said.
Bernard said the release of the teaser marks the first public glimpse of the film after an intentionally quiet post-production phase.
“This is just the first step. We’re preparing to launch a festival run that we hope will lead to theatrical and streaming distribution,” she said.
“Releasing the trailer now felt like the right way to reintroduce the project and offer a taste of what’s to come.”
Several years in the making, MKO draws on rare archival footage and firsthand accounts to examine one of Africa’s most significant democratic struggles.
The documentary is expected to premiere later in the year.
