A former Director General of Peter Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Organisation in the 2023 general elections, Dr Doyin Okupe, who formally resigned his membership of the Labour Party (LP) over ideological differences, is set to joint eh ruling All Progressive Congress (APC).
Dr Okupe a Presidential Spokesperson for Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, had in a letter on Monday to the LP National Chairman, Julius Abure, said his resignation is based on ideological differences that emerged after the 2023 elections.
Okupe said that his lifelong alignment with right-wing and liberal democratic principles clashed with LP’s left-of-centre ideology, making continued membership untenable.
Sources indicated that he had been in talks with APC leaders towards dumping the LP and Peter Obi as part of the plans to decapitate the camp of the merging opposition party.
And though Okupe did not state his next political move, the sources said he would “very soon” announce his move to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
And to show the importance and symbolism of the move, a source stated that it is being planned that Okupe will formally be received in his new party by the national chairman of APC, Dr Umar Ganduje in Abuja or Ogun State.
Meanwhile, National Publicity Secretary of the LP, Obiora Ifoh, had earlier told Daily Trust that “it is also a good thing because he is not expected to be in a territory where his ideological bent will be confused or different.”
Ifoh said Okupe has always been a PDP man, thus the LP expect that he returns to anywhere that he wants to be and wish him all the best in his future political pursuit.
His words: “Yes, we received the letter from Dr. Doyin Okupe, tendering his resignation as a member of the Labour Party. We want to say that we wish him very well in his pursuit of his political career. We in the Labour Party cherish the moment we had with him.
“After a short time, December 2022, when he had cause to leave the campaign based on some legal issues, we thank him for the contributions he made when he was the chairman of the DG of the campaign.
“We wish him very well. We want to say that he is saying that he is leaving because he is a Liberal Democrat, while the Labour Party is a Social Democrat.
“It is also a good thing because he is not expected to be in a territory where his ideological bent will be confused or different. He has always been a PDP man, so the Labour Party expects that he will return to anywhere he wants to be.
“We wish him all the best in his future political pursuit. Though we saw the letter on social media but we have not received it officially.”
Okupe had on December 21, 2022 resigned as Peter Obi’s Campaign Director General after he was convicted for money laundering by a Federal High Court Abuja.
Following his conviction, Okupe paid N13 million after Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu declared him guilty of collecting over N200 million in cash from former National Security Adviser (NSA), Colonel Sambo Dasuki (rtd).
Okupe paid the N13m fine within a few hours of the court’s deadline. Chief Akin Osuntokun later took his position as Obi Campaign DG.
