Ose Oyamendan
Hope Derailed is a feature documentary about the political crisis that ravaged Nigeria in the 1990s. It’s the story of an election won and annulled, a president-elect who was jailed and eventually died in prison, a dictator who held Nigeria hostage and a world that chose oil over the human rights of a people. It’s the story of Bashorun M.K.O. Abiola; a cluster of Generals with revolving and revolting agendas and a country that has yet to recover from a hope that was fatally crushed.
The documentary features the story of the era from the mouths of those actively involved in it – from the victims to the oppressed and to the guilty bystanders. The documentary features former presidents, foreign leaders, top diplomats, politicians, journalists, activists and aides and family members of Abiola. Some of the personalities include General Ibrahim Babangida, the President who annulled the elections; Ambassador Tom Pickering; the US top diplomat who witnessed Abiola’s death; General Jeremiah Useni; Abacha’s best friend and the last person to see the dictator alive; Senator Arthur Nzeribe, the politician whose suit led to the annulment; President Olusegun Obasanjo, Retired Generals, Abiola’s old schoolmate and controversial figure during the crisis; Kola Abiola, Abiola’s eldest son and Rt. Hon. Peter Hain, Britain’s former minister for Africa.
The film is produced and directed by Ose Oyamendan, a graduate of the prestigious film program at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles and a Hollywood-based, Nigerian-American filmmaker.
