THE presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general election and former governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi, said news of the death of Dr. Doyin Okupe has thrown him and all members of the Obidient family into mourning.
Okupe, who was the director general of Obi’s presidential campaign for the election, died on Friday, March 7 after a protracted illness.
Obi urged prayers for Okupe, who he described as his elder brother, and his family, saying his death has left a space in Nigeria’s political space.
He stated in a personally signed statement on his X account: “With great sadness this morning, I received the shocking news of the death of my dear elder brother, Dr. Doyin Okupe. On behalf of my family and the Obidient family, I sincerely mourn his passing.
“Okupe was an active figure in the nation’s political space and a man who desired a better Nigeria. His death is a profound loss – not only to his family and loved ones but to all of us.
“I would, therefore, like to urge members of the Obidient Movement and other groups to pray for the eternal repose of Okupe’s soul and to remember his family during these trying times.
“May God Almighty, who called him home, grant him eternal rest and grant his family, and all of us, the fortitude to bear this sad and irreplaceable loss. May God Almighty bless his family always.”
Okupe, a former presidential spokesperson and prominent political strategist, was Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to President Olusegun Obasanjo, as well as Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs to President Goodluck Jonathan.
In December 2022, he stepped down from Obi’s campaign after being convicted of money laundering and later resigned from the LP, following the 2023 general election fallout, turning into a vocal supporter of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, frequently engaging in political debates and commentary in his later days.
Okupe, known for his bold political views, was a physician and co-founded Royal Cross Medical Centre. He was the National Publicity Secretary of the defunct National Republican Convention (NRC) and was at a time detained under General Sani Abacha and subsequently disqualified from participating in United Nigeria Congress Party (UNCP) primaries.
He was once a governorship aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State.
