Tinubu best presidential candidate in 2023 elections — Okupe

A former presidential aide, Doyin Okupe, has lauded President Bola Tinubu, declaring him the best among all the candidates who contested the 2023 presidential election.

Tinubu of the All Progressive Congress (APC) won the election, with Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) coming in second and third, respectively.

Okupe, who initially served as Director-General of the Peter Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign, stated that hindsight has shown him that Tinubu is the most suitable for the presidency.

“Of all the people that actually ran for President in 2023, by the benefit of hindsight, Bola Tinubu is the best,” Okupe said on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday.

He stressed Tinubu’s capability, commitment, and knowledge, noting his past interactions with Tinubu and other candidates.

“I have seen Peter Obi, I have been with Atiku Abubakar, I also knew Bola Tinubu many years ago. I have not seen him in the last 7 to 8 years, that is not the point but he is the best in terms of capability, commitment and knowledge,” he added.

Okupe argued that Nigerians should not judge Tinubu’s administration in the same way as previous ones, as he took office after a period of perceived governance neglect.

He added that one year is too short to assess the current administration and urged Nigerians to give Tinubu more time.

When asked if his praise for Tinubu was a betrayal to Obi, Okupe disagreed. He explained that his support for Obi stemmed from their shared belief that a Southerner should be president, which led to their departure from the PDP.

Okupe toured the country with Obi seeking votes ahead of the PDP primary. When their efforts did not succeed within the PDP, they joined the Labour Party, where Okupe became Obi’s campaign director-general.

Okupe resigned from his position following a Federal High Court judgement in Abuja, which found him guilty of receiving over N200 million in cash from former National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki.

In his resignation letter, Okupe expressed that he did not want his personal issues to distract Obi’s campaign and the party’s efforts, leading to his decision to step aside.

In January, Okupe also resigned from the Labour Party, citing ideological differences.