A day after he was convicted for laundering the sum of N240 million the director-general of the 2023 Obi-Datti Campaign Organisation, Dr. Doyin Okupe, has bowed out of the office.
Okupe, who was the spokesperson of former President Goodluck Jonathan resigned from the office yesterday. He had on Monday paid a N13 million fine to avoid going to jail.
He was found guilty of 26 of the 59-count charges preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Okupe was found guilty of receiving over N240 million cash from the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) when Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd) was the NSA.
In a swift reaction to Okupe’s resignation, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) Mr Peter Obi has said it would not affect his outing at the 2023 presidential race.
Obi said the over 130 million poor Nigerians and the unemployed youths were the ones driving his campaign, adding that a single individual stepping down would not affect his chances.
The LP standard bearer who said attacks targeted at him would fail until he wins the election, added that Okupe stepped down as the campaign DG on his own volition.
Speaking to LEADERSHIP through his campaign council spokesman, Dr Yunusa Tanko, the LP presidential candidate said several people had been making efforts at implicating him, adding that it was the Nigerian masses that were driving his campaign.
He said, “The stepping down of Okupe will not affect my campaign. One person stepped down. The campaign is not about one person. The over 130 million Nigerians and the unemployed youths are the ones driving our campaign.
“Yes, Okupe stepped down on his own volition. We are aware of the numerous attacks targeted at us but they will fail until we win the election,” Tanko said.
Okupe’s resignation letter was addressed to Obi.
Okupe said in the letter that he would not allow his travail to rub off on the electoral trajectory of the Obi campaign for the 2023 election.
“You will recall that I briefed you yesterday about my personal travails in seeking justice and clearing my name using the Nigerian legal system to pursue the same.
“I have invested too much in your campaign to allow my personal travails to become a source of distraction. In the circumstances, I have opted to step aside and plead that you appoint a new campaign DG who can continue the assignment with zero distractions,” Okupe stated.
