Why I dumped Peter Obi for Tinubu, by Doyin Okupe

Former Director-General of the Presidential Campaign Organisation of the Labour Party, Dr Doyin Okupe, has stated that his relationship with the party’s candidate in the 2023 general election, Peter Obi, ended immediately after President Bola Tinubu emerged.

In a statement, yesterday, Okupe said his support for Obi was based on principles of fairness and justice, and not for personal or political gain. He said that his commitment to Obi was rooted in his belief that the Presidency should go to a southerner, preferably an Igbo man, following principles of equity.

Okupe had in January, this year, dumped the LP, citing ideological differences as the basis for his departure from the party. The former director-general of the campaign organisation, in the statement, said that he did not receive any financial compensation from Obi during the campaign but relied on personal funds and support from a mutual friend.

Okupe, however, expressed his respect for the outcome, considering it as God’s will, and confirmed that his political alliance with Obi concluded with the Supreme Court’s judgment on the election.

He also said that having been involved in Nigerian politics for 46 years, he no longer belongs to any political party but expressed his personal support for President Bola Tinubu, citing Tinubu’s political acumen and administrative competence.

He, however, urged Nigerians to support the current administration for the sake of the nation’s stability and the well-being of its citizens. Okupe also re-affirmed his commitment to Nigeria and his desire to see it succeed, irrespective of political or religious affiliations. He said that he was not narrow-minded when he was a critic and that Obidients should adopt a similar approach in the future.