Twenty-four Hours after Dr Doyin Okupe was jailed by the Federal Court sitting in Abuja over money laundering, he has announced his withdrawal from the campaign of Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP).
Penpushing reports that 70 year Okupe, who was the Director-General of the Labour Party Presidential Campaign Organisation in his twitter handle on Tuesday declared that it was time to step aside, but said in heart he was still with Obi ahead of the 2023 Presidential elections
“It’s time to step aside. But I am with PO and the Obidients and the Presidential Campaigns till God gives us victory in Jesus Name (sic). You will recall I briefed you yesterday about my personal travails in seeking justice and clearing my name using the Nigerian Legal System to pursue same”, he wrote.
Penpushing further reports that Okupe, a former media aide of former Presidents Goodluck Jonathan and Olusegun Obasanjo in a letter attached to the tweet recalled a discussion with him (Obi) had about the conviction, which the former called personal travails.
“I have invested too much energy in your campaign to allow my personal travails to become a source of distraction. In the circumstance, I have opted to step aside and plead that you appoint a new Campaign DG, who can continue the assignment with zero distractions”, he wrote
Penpushing also reports that, the Medical Doctor turned politician, was arraigned by the Economic and Crimes Commission(EFCC) for money laundering to the tune of N700 million and was subsequently found guilty and jailed with an option of a fine of N13 million, which he took and avoided time in prison.
The convicted Okupe illicitly received money from former National Security Adviser Sambo Dasuki Sambi from the funds meant for arms procurement, while his sentence by the court appeared as a setback for the Obi campaign, whose main thrust has been accountability and a break from the old order.
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