Nigerians bid Doyin Abiola farewell

By Nehru Odeh

Dr Doyin Abiola was known for her exterior quietness. But behind that calmness, behind those knowing smiles of hers, even in the face of the worst raging storms, was an Amazon who demonstrated courage, determination, steeliness and stood solidly behind her husband, Chief MKO Abiola, and his comrades in arms, throughout the struggle for the actualization of the June 12 mandate. And as she always wished for others, she never walked alone.

Not only did she have an enviable pedigree and boast a rich resume, she was also a woman of many firsts. She was the first woman to edit a national newspaper in Nigeria, she was also the first female to become the Managing Director of a media organization, Concord Group of Newspapers, in the country. And not only that, she was the first person, both male and female alike, to midwife a unique, novel Saturday newspaper, Weekend Concord that became a national bestseller which not only paved way but also set the pace for other Saturday tabloids.

Yet despite her gargantuan achievements, her larger-than-life persona, despite her pedigree, the woman who was legendary for spotting journalistic talents and giving them opportunities to excel and was the powerhouse of the June 12 struggle in Nigeria, kept a low profile and almost lost her life when an assassin’s bullet narrowly missed her in her room because she shifted.

Still, Doyin never shifted during and after the struggle. She never relented. She never wavered. It was for these and many other reasons that made distinguished Nigerians from all walks of life pay glowing tributes to her at the Service of Songs and Tributes Night that was held at Harbour Point, Victoria Island, Lagos on Tuesday, September 9. It was a parade of stars.

It was not just a night of tributes, it was also a night of revelations, of memory, of music and of sober reflections. Indeed many things that were hitherto not known about this woman of substance or were not in the public domain were revealed that night as speakers after speakers mounted the podium to honour and pay tribute to her.

For instance, her humanity and the strategic role she played as a powerhouse of the June 12 struggle, even at the risk of losing her life were unearthed by several speakers. And the white dress code that night lighted up the atmosphere and gave it a celestial feel. Indeed, Doyin’s soul ascended in a blaze of glory.

First to speak was Dr Jumoke Oduwole, Minister of Trade, Industry and Investment, who started her offering with a solemn admission. “This is a tribute to my godmother, Dr Doyinsola Abiola,” she said. Oduwole went on to say that Doyin and her mother, Mrs Folasade Olumide were best of friends while they were at Queens College and remained friends for life.

“As a little girl, my first pair of gold earrings were gifts from my godmother. It was one item in a package of other child-friendly gifts I can’t remember now but my mum kept them save until I was older and could appreciate the thoughtful gesture. I still have those earrings till today. That level of intentionality and investment in a girl under 10 years old says it all.

“Aunty Doyin was an extremely intentional person. As I grew older in my university days especially, I took to driving to Ikeja unannounced to visit her from time to time. When I think of it now, I wonder how she made the time. If she was home, she would take time to see me in the middle of the day and have patient conversations with me about life, my life, the choices we make, lessons from things happening around us, everything, like I was a real adult. Then I would most certainly leave with something dainty, often perfume or some other nice feminine item.

“When I was planning to get married, I said to my parents that naturally I would like my godmother to chair our wedding reception. She was the only choice for us and she took the role with great pride. I remember she bought us our first freezer and had it delivered to our marital home,” Oduwole reminisced.

Mr Dele Momodu, Chairman Ovation Media Group, also went down memory lane as he extolled her virtues. He spoke particularly about how she did not only give her a job at Concord Newspapers after he had searched for a job for a long time but also gave him wings to fly. “I had studied Yoruba for my first degree and I couldn’t get a job even as a teacher. And my mother was wondering if I wanted to become a babalawo or why would I go to a university and study Yoruba,” Momodu said, and the hall erupted with laughter.

“But Dr Doyin Abiola knew how to spot talents. By the time I started in May, in February I got a call from Mr Mike Awoyinfa that I was being transferred to a weekend paper. I said ‘me, a scholar? I am almost doing a PhD.’ They said yes. Dr Doyin Abiola insisted they must pick me amongst those who would start the Weekend Concord. I had no choice. I went and then I wrote the first cover, the second cover. We started in March 1989. You will not believe it. Dr Doyin Abiola would call my editor, Mike Awoyinfa and say, ‘look, don’t let that guy run away oo.’ Before I could say Jack Robinson, by May, two months after we started the paper, they promoted me..

“Mummy was totally committed to her husband and to Nigeria. Her role in June 12 has not been properly documented. And I hope Doyin would make every effort to document her role because she was an intellectual powerhouse,” Momodu opined.

Mrs Folake Akindele, founder of Tiffany Amber Fashion Group, spoke about her closeness with Doyin and how she inspired, encouraged and gave her courage.

“Aunty Doyin was more than an icon to me. She was family, a constant reminder of how to live with purpose and grace. From my earliest memory, when she walked through the door of Tiffany Amber she carried herself with a quiet strength that made you sit up straight in her presence. She never needed to raise her voice even when we upset her to no end. Her elegance and her compassion did all the speaking.

“I remember sitting with her as a young woman, nervous at the path I wanted to take in life, she would look at me in the eye, smile that knowing smile and tell me, ‘Folake, the world is yours to shape. Never dim your light.’ Those words stay with me. They gave me courage in my personal and professional life, especially when things seem daunting and they continue to echo in my heart. Even now.

“Aunty Doyin was a pioneer. Yes. The first Nigerian woman to rise to the very top of a national newspaper. A voice of truth in turbulent times. The woman who broke many barriers so others can walk freely. But to me, she was that special woman who checked in quietly, a role model that showed me that power and feminity were not opposites. And a woman who embodied dignity, no matter the storm. She supported me not just as Folake the designer but Folake the person, encouraging, challenging and constantly reminding me of my worth.

“I will never forget the time she would come and sit in the audience at my shows, not needing to say much ber presence alone was a blessing. Her legacy in Nigerian journalism would be studied and celebrated. But for those of us who knew her closely, her true legacy is the love, wisdom and courage she poured into us,” Akindele said with a sombre tone.

Mr Tunji Bello, CEO and Chairman Federal Consumer Protection Agency, FCPA, was also full of praise for the erudite journalist. He spoke about her knack for spotting talents, her foresight and how she was instrumental to the employment of some of the best professionals in the country to the stable of Concord Press.

“She was one of those great managers always on the lookout for upcoming talents and good hands just by reading various news and features stories. Some of us got promoted within a few years without knowing she was instrumental. My first meeting with her would happen in June 1989, when she summoned me to her office and said the management was considering appointing me as the Group Political Editor. But some members of the management thought I was too young for such a position. I was just about 28 years old at that time. When I asked her to give me a try she was impressed with my response,” Bello noted.

Mr Mike Awoyinfa, former editor of Weekend Concord and later Managing Director of The Sun Newspapers, who described Doyin as “mother of Weekend Concord, mentor of journalists, queen mother of Nigerian journalism and icon of the Nigerian media” also spoke eloquently about Doyin’s impact in his life and that of others, adding that she changed lives, shaped careers and redefined the possibilities of the Nigerian press.

“For me, this is deeply personal. Dr Abiola was more than a boss, she was a destiny helper. She took a risk on me, a young features editor who had just come over from Sunday Concord, where I was groomed by the famous Dele Giwa and entrusted me with her brainchild, Saturday newspaper that would become a trail blazer in Nigerian journalism.

“When she chose me as editor of Weekend Concord, some people told her like they told Tunji Bello, that I was young, that I was not mature for the job. Some advised her to play it safe. But Dr Doyin was a woman of courage and conviction. She trusted her gut instinct and she trusted me. And by the grace of God Almighty, Weekend Concord became a revolution,” Awoyinfa said.

Awoyinfa, however, lamented the fact that despite all that she did for her country and profession, she was never given a national honour, neither was a book written on her.. “But I promise you, as a biographer, I would work on a book on you. I would not let your memory and your legacies die. We would never forget you, just as we would never forget your husband, Chief MKO Abiola,” Awoyinfa averred.

Mr Dele Alake, Minister of Solid Minerals, in his speech revealed the invaluable role Doyin played during the June 12 struggle, how she was not just the driving force behind the struggle but also funded it; and also how most of the clandestine meetings were held in her house.

He spoke about how some of them planned with some military officers to topple the then military dictator, Gen. Sani Abacha. government so they could de-annul the June 12 election. “On an occasion we succeeded in prodding some of them to group together and we told them it was the military that annulled the election and it was the military that should come and de-annul it, even to safeguard their own image for the future. So we got some of them together and they agreed and we were meeting, we were planning the coup. And of course Dr Abiola was in the know because we couldn’t do it without her approva ,” Alake recalled.

He also reminisced about how after the coup plot had leaked. Prof Olatunji Dare advised him to flee the country to avoid the guillotine. And again, Doyin showed up by getting him a British Visa in a matter of hours on a Sunday night in a private house, because his had expired a month before,

Alake said Doyin regarded him as the brother she never had. “It’s really very emotional personally to be here to pay tribute to my aunty. I was the brother she never had. And she told me so, not once, not twice, not thrice but severally. And that was an eloquent testimony to the deep relationship that I had with her. She told me pointedly several times, ‘Dele you’re the brother I never had’. She was there for me, I was there for her with all sense of modesty, both officially, intellectually, politically, domestically. I was always there. I was at her neck and call.

“A lot has been said about her intellectualism, about her journalistic prowess, about her standing in the society and all that, even about her political perspectives, views and persuasion. What most people don’t know is that Dr Doyin Abiola was a compelling driving force, a juggernaut behind the entire June 12 saga from inception to the very end. Some of us were privileged to be there from inception to the very end. And so we went through the crucibles with her.

“Even though her exterior exuded calm, coolness, she was very fiery and steely inside, very firm and courageous. She was a very powerful man, not a woman. She was a man of journalism but a woman of the house who stood ramrod behind her husband, behind the aspirations of her husband,” Alake maintained.

Though Mr Femi Adesina, Former Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity did not give a speech that night, he had already paid his tribute, which was published in the Programme, in a piece he entitled,”The Doyin Abiola I Knew.” “Woman of steel. That was Dr Abiola for you. She didn’t suffer fools gladly. If you were sloppy (a favourite word of hers) or unprofessional in any way, you got the sharp part of her tongue, or you may end up being screamed at,”Adesina said.

Nigerian First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, who was represented by Mrs Folashade Kaosarat Bada Ambrose, Lagos State Commissioner of Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, described her as a pioneer whose brilliance and courage opened doors for many women and set a standard of excellence for all.

“As the first female editor of a national newspaper in Nigeria, she broke barriers in a male-dominated field and proved through hard work, intellect and integrity that women have an indispensable role to play in shaping the narrative of our nation. Dr Doyin Abiola’s contributions to the growth of the media and its industry in Nigeria are worthy of note in that she carved a path of courage and excellence for women in media and public service. Her work not only strengthened Nigerian journalism but also gave voice to truth and progress. Dr Abiola’s life reminds us that true greatness is not measured by titles,.” the First Lady said.

Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, former Governor of Lagos State and former Minister of Works and Housing, who titled his tribute, “A Tribute to Greatness” , said he “had always seen aunty Doyin as someone who was perched on a pedestal of high values from which he refused to descend. And this was not from a place of arrogance. I think it was from a place of pedigree, of principles

“The ideas that came from that her great mind were just indescribable. And I just marveled at how she could conceptualize policy on local, regional, national and international politics and development. There was nothing above her mind. And of course that mind had me entrapped.

“And I say that it is only when you engage her mind and share her thought or she emailed an idea to you that you would understand you were simply experiencing greatness in human form. Aunty Doyin lives on because greatness does not die, greatness does not perish. It only transforms as she has done. The pleasant memories of her remarkable life live indelibly in millions of hearts, never to be forgotten,” Fashola noted.

Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo- Olu, for his part, described Doyin as a remarkable woman, a towering figure in Nigerian journalism, a matriarch of grace and a quite yet forceful advocate for truth, for dignity and public service.

“Mama Doyinsola as many affectionately called her, was not just, as you heard, the first Nigerian woman to rise to the position of the Managing Director of a national newspaper, a feat she accomplished with extraordinary courage and competence, she was in every sense a pioneer, a torch bearer, a woman who navigated the turbulent waters of media as Dele Alake and Tunji Bello had said.

“She had navigated politics, family, national sacrifice with the poise of royalty and the resilience of a warrior. She was a kind of woman history remembers because she made history. A feat she accomplished not because anyone handed her the keys but because she earned them. And she had earned them with rigour, with dignity and I say it with every sense of purpose.

“But tonight I remember her as something even more personal. And I daresay for the last five years she would be my very quiet confidant. She was a mentor and a big aunt. A quiet force who shaped more decisions than she ever took credit for. Sitting down here I have read several text messages from her. And indeed even when you would not have expected that she had watched the news or had gone through the newspapers, she would kindly send a note of encouragement and courage to me a whole lot of time.

“Aunty was married to late Chief MKO Abiola. One of Nigeria’s iconic sons. She stood by his side in times of triumph and turmoil. She was not in his shadows. She was his equal. An intellectual force, she was a strategist, a woman of steel, clothed in velvet. And a lot of people have confirmed that this evening,” Sanwo-Olu maintained.

Mrs Lola Abiola-Edewor said Doyin was a doting wife and mother who radiated so much love to family and friends. “She was particularly big on family so much so that my late dad acknowledged that she came into the marriage as a complete package together with her sisters. She doted so much on her husband and daughter but it was difficult to know who got more doting.

“Mama Doyin was a lady through and through. She had an incredible strength. She showed a magnifying love. She embraced the good. She walked in humility. She exuded confidence. She had a passionate purpose. She was daringly honest. She was ever so polite in her communication and considerate in her treatment of others.

“She was big also on personal growth and value. She maintained poise and a calm demeanour, even in challenging situations. But she was a great achiever and very successful career professional. Who shattered all manner of ceilings that came her way, despite being married to a colossus such as her husband. She was however the first to acknowledge that her husband was her biggest cheer leader who constantly encouraged her on her many exploits,” Lola enthused.

However Doyin’s son in-law, Bamise, was emotional when he paid his tributes to her. He described her also as a remarkable woman. “My mother in-law meant many things to many people. But to me, she was my second mother, she was my second wife, she was my confidant. She was my teacher, my adviser and she was my stylist. She carried herself with grace and also with a spark that made her unforgettable.

She was full of knowledge, always asking thought-provoking questions, eager to hear my views on everything, history, politics, life and she just kept on pushing. She was a teacher, a motivator. She was my gist partner too. We gisted all the time. And she was the source of light in my journey. Her wisdom, her love, her legacy will continue to guide me always,” Bamise noted.

Bamise also used that occasion to recommit himself to his wife. “To my wife, Doyinsola. Your mother loved you deeply. You’re not alone. You’re surrounded by love. And in front of everyone here, I recommit myself to you,” Bamise vowed.

And his vote of thanks, which was followed by a photo session and scintillating gospel music signaled the end of a night of tributes, startling revelations, bonding and a recommitment of love.