Doyin Abiola, truly exceptional!

By: Tunji Bello

THE phrase “Gentlemen of the Press” used for both male and female journalists,  has no known origin. But it became popularised following the 1929 American film by Walter Huston who portrayed the life of a professional journalist deprived of joy of ordinary life due to the exigencies of duty. So, with time, the phrase acquired a universal application in public discourse as a form of greeting where journalists are gathered. And despite the heroic efforts of “Women Liber” in the profession, the phrase has endured as standard greeting at press gatherings. Surely, there are great women of the profession in history whose footprints far overshadow such gender murmurs and whose solid contributions belie any claim to male superiority. One of such exemplars was Dr. Doyin Abiola (née Aboaba), wife of our national hero Bashorun M.K.O Abiola, winner of the 1993 June 12 presidential election that gave birth to Nigeria’s present democracy. She had joined the journalism profession in 1970 with a degree from the prestigious University of Ibadan with her employment as Features Editor of then powerful Daily Times at Kakawa in Lagos Island. By the time I joined the profession fresh from National Youth Service in October 1985, Dr Doyin Abiola had become one of its leading lights. With a Ph.D from the famous New York University, she was the Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief of Concord Group of Newspapers, arguably the leading publication in Nigeria’s media industry where I began.

In my first two years in the Concord newsroom, I never came into personal contact with her. At best, our encounters were from afar: either that I was walking past her along the boardroom corridor or while in conversations with our senior editors. Of course, I was obliged to greet her with reverence. But as time rolled by and I stepped up the ladder, I saw her as a super boss who was exceptional in professional creativity and in providing editorial leadership. She was a great risk-taker in the profession and was never afraid when it came to competition and professional judgement. I was just six months in the position of Assistant Features Editor in 1989 when I was summoned to her office.“Tunji,” she asked, “the management is thinking of making you the Group Political Editor, but some senior editors are saying you are too young for such a role at just 28.”. My reply was, “Why don’t you give me a trial first?” Hearing me out, she replied, “Ok, we shall go ahead.” We went on to set up a Political Desk of brilliant minds, who later became media stars such as Sam Omatseye as deputy, Victor Ifijeh, Olusegun Adeniyi, Louis Odion and Gboyega Amobonye, popularly called “Governor with unlimited mandate.”

Following the team’s excellent coverage of several political news stories including Gideon Okar’s failed coup against Babangida’s regime in 1990; our accurate prediction of Sir Michael Otedola as the next Governor of Lagos State in 1991- even when the then National Electoral Commission (NEC) was still counting the votes; the formation and eventual dissolution of political parties such as People’s Solidarity Party (PSP), the People’s Front (PF), and Liberal Convention (LC); the imposition of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and National Republican Convention (NRC) by Babangida’s regime; the visits to United Kingdom and the United States to report on the elections of John Major as Prime Minister and Bill Clinton as President respectively; the proposed publication of “EXCLUSIVE” on the Armed Forces Ruling Council (AFRC) meeting on proscription of June 12 election result in the _Sunday Concord_ that almost led to the assassination of the Editor, Dele Alake, on Airport road by the regime’s goons, she would later remark to me, “You’ve never disappointed me.” And with the backing of our main editor then, Nsikak Essien (National Concord Editor), the sky was our limit.

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Few months prior, she had started what was thought to be impossible — Nigeria’s first Saturday newspaper. This was achieved using another great star of the journalism profession, Mike Awoyinfa. Egbon Mike was my former features editor and I worked as a senior staff writer under him. He had been redeployed from Sunday Concord as Assistant Editor to be Features Editor when Ola Amupitan left, and soon after transforming the features pages to a must-read for Nigerians, legendary Mike ascended again to become the editor of the new Saturday Newspaper  with the late Dimgba Igwe as his deputy. The newspaper was  christened Weekend Concord. The Weekend Concord suddenly became Nigeria’s best-selling on the newsstands with its compelling human-angle approach and salacious news stories about events and people. She was not done yet. When the Babangida’s regime floated the idea of privatization of public enterprises in Nigeria, Dr Abiola summoned a select group of editors and editorial board members to a meeting on the need to study and report how it had been done in other countries. Consequently, editors were deployed to different parts of the world — about 20 countries where it had been done. I ended up visiting Mexico to do my own investigation. In the end, a book was produced on that experience, researched and written by Concord editors and senior staff.

She was never a political actor in the strict sense of politics. Her terrain was only the media. However, the annulment of June 12 election, won by her husband, transformed her.

When Concord Group of Newspapers was shut down for almost two years by a combination of Babangida and Abacha’s regimes (a whole different story for another day), Dele Alake (then Editor of Sunday Concord and later National Concord), Segun Babatope, Chairman, Editorial Board and myself became her closest allies. It was like a confirmation of the political aphorism, “Never under-estimate a hitherto seemingly politically disinterested person when confronted with the challenge and reality of power politics.”

With no office to go to following the military barricade, she turned her residential apartment at Moshood Abiola crescent in Ikeja, Lagos to another fortress for us. Every day, the three of us would resume there to debate and work with some notable pro-democracy activists on daily moves while pretending that we were not being monitored by members of the state security service. We were constantly in touch with local Pro-June 12 activists and political exiles like our current President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Her telephone and fax machines were at our beck and call. Sometimes, to shake off security trail, we had to use various decoys to enter and leave her house.

By the time Concord was reopened in early 1996 with Bashorun Abiola still in detention, a lot of advertisers and suppliers deserted us out of fear of General Sani Abacha and his media crackdowns. After being left to bear the brunt, she stood tall as a leader and encouraged us to persevere.

Dele Alake resumed as National Concord Editor and I took over as Sunday Concord Editor. And when Alake left to join Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s cabinet in Lagos in 1999, she appointed me the National Concord Editor. We had thought the 1999 return to democracy was the salvation point following the death of our publisher in July 1998, but it was going to be the turning-point for the Newspaper empire. The family politics and antagonism also set in.

We needed substantial capital to rejuvenate Concord. Fortunately, there was a significant asset which Lagos State Water Corporation was interested in and we agreed to sell it with Governor Tinubu’s endorsement. The payment was about to be finalized by the LASG when we saw a caveat emptor from some members of Abiola’s family in some newspapers. That was the end of the transaction. This was followed by several other frustrations. And staff became disillusioned.

In November 2000, I walked up to her office to let her know I was resigning. She became disheartened and asked me to think it through. I asked for a month leave and it was from there I sent in my letter of resignation. My resignation triggered some others. Kayode Komolafe as editor of Sunday Concord also resigned. Two days after learning of my resignation, Publisher of THISDAY, Prince Nduka Obaigena, gave me a call and offered me the Chairmanship of Editorial Board of THISDAY Newspapers.

Despite my departure from Concord, I grew even closer to the beloved media empress, Dr. Doyin Abiola, her wonderful only daughter, Doyin, and her husband Bamise. I commiserate with them. And like a chapter in every book, it must have an end. Dr Doyin Abiola has left us to join her great husband, MKO. May her soul rest in  perfect peace.

Goodnight, Aunty Doyin!

Goodbye, Mummy Doyi

•Bello, political scientist, lawyer and public administrator, is former editor of the National Concord and later Chairman, Editorial Board of THISDAY Newspapers, past Secretary to the Lagos State Government and  Commissioner for the Environment, is currently the Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of FCCPC.