Dr Doyin Abiola, one of the wives of MKO Abiola, the acclaimed winner of the June 12 1993 presidential election, has died at the age of 82.
According to sources, she passed away at exactly 9:15 pm yesterday after a period of illness.
She was the former managing director and publisher of National Concord and notably the first Nigerian woman to serve as editor of a daily newspaper in the country.
Like many of Abiola’s other wives, she endured the hardships and emotional strain brought on by the annulment of the 1993 election and the subsequent challenges both at home and at the Concord.
Doyin Abiola obtained a degree in English and Drama from the University of Ibadan in 1969. After graduating, she joined the Daily Sketch Newspaper where she began writing a column titled “Tiro,” which addressed various societal issues, including gender-related topics. In 1970, she left Daily Sketch and moved to the United States for a master’s degree in Journalism. Upon returning, she joined the Daily Times as a Features Writer and rose to the role of Group Features Editor. She later earned a PhD in communications and political science from New York University in 1979.
After completing her PhD, she resumed work at the Daily Times, where she served on the editorial board alongside editors like Stanley Macebuh, Dele Giwa, and Amma Ogan. Not long after, she was invited by the newly established National Concord to become its pioneer daily editor. She later assumed the role of editor and was promoted to managing director/editor-in-chief in 1986, becoming the first Nigerian woman to hold such a position at a daily newspaper. She got married in 1981. Her tenure at National Concord spanned over 30 years, and she also served in various leadership roles within the country’s media landscape.
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