Tinubu mourns veteran journalist, Doyin Abiola
…describes her as a trailblazer in journalism
By Kunle Sanni
President Bola Tinubu has expressed deep sorrow over the passing of veteran journalist and media icon, Dr. Doyinsola Hamidat Abiola, describing her as a trailblazer in journalism and a steadfast soldier of democracy.
Dr. Abiola, 82, who passed away early Wednesday, was the wife of the late Chief MKO Abiola, acclaimed winner of the annulled 1993 presidential election, and the former Managing Director of the defunct Concord Group of Newspapers.
In a statement issued Wednesday, President Tinubu praised the late media luminary for breaking barriers and redefining the role of women in Nigerian journalism.
“Doyin Abiola was an Amazon and an icon in Nigerian journalism,” he said. “She broke the gender barrier, becoming the first woman to edit a national newspaper and later the first Managing Director of a daily newspaper. Her immense contributions to journalism and gender equity laid a foundation for generations of women.”
Beginning her journalism career in 1969 with the Daily Sketch after graduating from the University of Ibadan, Dr. Abiola rose through the ranks to become the pioneer Editor of National Concord in 1980. She would later serve as the Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief of the entire Concord Group, where she founded Weekend Concord, a publication known for its human-centered reporting.
Tinubu highlighted not only her professional accomplishments but also her political courage, particularly during Nigeria’s turbulent democratic struggles in the early 1990s.
“As MKO’s wife, Doyin took a keen interest in politics. She played a prominent role in his 1993 campaign and remained vocal following the annulment of that historic election. Even after the military junta shut down the Concord Group, she stood firm, demanding the validation of the election. She was a soldier of democracy in her own right,” the President said.
Tinubu, who shared a personal relationship with both Doyin and MKO Abiola, described her as a woman of “integrity, tenacity, and commitment to democratic good governance.”
