The Presidency has called for the protection of Nigerians’ democratic choices, saying the sacrifices made during the June 12 pro-democracy struggle should continue to guide the country’s democratic development.
Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, made the remarks on Thursday during the national premiere of MKO, a documentary chronicling the life and political struggle of the late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola.
The event was held at the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts in Lagos as part of activities marking Nigeria’s 66th Independence anniversary.
President Tinubu attended the premiere alongside his wife, First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, senior government officials, lawmakers, governors and other dignitaries.
The documentary examines the events surrounding the June 12, 1993 presidential election, its annulment by the military government and Abiola’s subsequent efforts to reclaim what he regarded as his electoral mandate.
Abiola was arrested in 1994 after declaring his claim to the mandate and later died in detention in 1998.
Speaking at the event, Onanuga said Nigerians who participated in the struggle for democratic rule made significant sacrifices and should not be forgotten.
He recalled the contributions of activists, lawyers, journalists, students, workers, academics and Nigerians in the diaspora who opposed military rule and demanded the restoration of democracy.
The presidential aide said many Nigerians were imprisoned without trial, forced into exile or lost their livelihoods and property during the struggle.
According to him, the return to democratic rule came at a significant cost and should remind current leaders and citizens of the responsibility to safeguard democratic institutions.
Onanuga said the country must ensure that the freely expressed choice of Nigerians is respected and that no authority overturns the people’s mandate.
He also noted that Abiola had been officially recognised as the winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, describing the documentary as a tribute to the late politician and others who participated in the pro-democracy movement.
Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, said the documentary was produced to preserve the history of the June 12 struggle for future generations.
Musawa said documenting the events would help younger Nigerians understand the sacrifices made before the restoration of democratic governance.
She also urged citizens to protect democratic values and prevent the disruption of the people’s will.
The premiere brought together several senior political figures, including Senate President Godswill Akpabio, House of Representatives Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun and Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang.
Other attendees included Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, Chief of Staff to the President Femi Gbajabiamila, former Ogun State Governor Olusegun Osoba and other government officials.
The documentary’s producer, Ose Oyamendan, expressed appreciation to those who supported the project and recalled interviewing Tinubu when he was a senator in 1992.
The event renewed attention on the history of Nigeria’s pro-democracy movement and the events surrounding the June 12, 1993 election.
