The widow of the Late Chief M.K.O. Abiola, Nigeria’s June 12 hero, Dr. Doyin Abiola, has died at the age of 82.
The former Managing Director of Abiola-owned National Concord reportedly died at 9:15 p.m. on Tuesday.
With a doctorate degree in English, she was reputed as the most educated of Abiola’s plethora of wives.
Doyin Abiola made history as the first Nigerian woman to become Editor and later Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief of a national daily.
Born in 1943, Dr. Abiola obtained a degree in English and Drama from the University of Ibadan in 1969. She began her journalism career at the Daily Sketch, where she penned a widely read column titled Tiro, addressing issues of public concern, particularly gender equity.
In 1970, she left Nigeria to pursue a Master’s degree in Journalism in the United States. Upon her return, she joined the Daily Times as a Features Writer and rose to become Group Features Editor. She later earned a Ph.D. in Communications and Political Science from New York University in 1979.
Returning to Nigeria, she served on the Daily Times editorial board alongside respected journalists such as Stanley Macebuh, Dele Giwa, and Amma Ogan. In 1980, she became the pioneer editor of the newly launched National Concord, eventually rising to Managing Director in 1986.
She married Chief MKO Abiola in 1981 and remained a steadfast presence during his political trials, particularly after the annulment of the historic June 12, 1993, presidential election.
