President Bola Ahmed Tinubu led tributes on Wednesday, following the death of Dr. Doyin Abiola, a towering figure in Nigerian journalism and a passionate advocate for democracy, at the age of 82.
The Pre4sident described the trailblazing media executive as both a “media icon” and a “soldier of democracy.”
Dr. Abiola, the wife of the late Chief MKO Abiola, passed away in the early hours of Wednesday.
The president, in a statement expressing his profound sadness, celebrated her groundbreaking career and her unwavering commitment to democratic ideals.
“I received with deep sadness the news… of the passing of Dr. Doyinsola Hamidat Abiola, a trailblazing journalist, editor, and former managing director of the defunct Concord Group of newspapers,” President Tinubu said.
He hailed her as an “Amazon and an icon in Nigerian journalism,” noting that she remained dedicated to the field since beginning her career as a reporter with the Daily Sketch in 1969.
President Tinubu highlighted Dr. Abiola’s remarkable journey, emphasizing how she shattered gender barriers in a male-dominated industry. “She broke the gender barrier, becoming the first woman to edit a national newspaper and the first Managing Director of a daily newspaper,” he stated.
Her pioneering achievements, he added, “laid a foundation for generations of women” and had an even more profound impact on the nation’s democracy.
In 1980, Dr. Abiola became the pioneer editor of the National Concord, a newspaper founded by her husband, MKO Abiola. She eventually rose to the position of Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief of the entire Concord Group, which included launching the popular Weekend Concord. Under her leadership, the newspaper group became known for its innovative, people-centered reporting.
The president also recalled Dr. Abiola’s critical role in the tumultuous political battles that followed the annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election, which her husband had won.
“She played a prominent role in MKO’s election, mobilising and providing direction for the media under her control,” Tinubu noted. “And when the June 12 election… was annulled, she did not stand aside.”
Despite the military junta shutting down the Concord Group, Dr. Abiola joined the political fray, demanding the validation of the election. “She was a soldier of democracy in her own right,” the president said, praising her leadership, resilience, and unwavering dedication to truth and justice.
President Tinubu extended his condolences to the Abiola and Aboaba families, her daughter Doyinsola, and the people of Lagos and Ogun States. “May her soul rest in peace. May this nation be blessed with more women of Doyin Abiola’s calibre and pedigree,” he concluded.