Doyin Okupe, the former director-general of the Labour Party Presidential Campaign Organisation during the 2023 elections, has disclosed the reasons behind his and Peter Obi’s departure from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
In an interview with journalists in Lagos on Monday, Okupe said that he and Obi had left the PDP because, while they both agreed and thought that the next president of Nigeria should be from the South, particularly an Igbo man from the South-East, the party was not moving in that direction. He added that after President Bola Tinubu won the election, his political pact with Obi came to an end.
The former presidential communications assistant made these comments in response to criticism of Obi on X from his followers, also referred to as Obidients, who were upset that he had abandoned their principles and supported the current administration’s policies.
The former presidential adviser claimed that he only backed Obi out of principle rather than because he thought the LP candidate was politically stronger than he was or out of friendship.
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“Obi and I left the PDP because we both agreed and believed that the next President must be a Southerner, preferably an Igbo man from the South-East. Unfortunately, we lost that election. Another Southerner, Bola Tinubu, won the election. This is God’s will. He gives power to whom He wishes. My political commitment and agreement with Obi ended and expired there. I am too experienced in this game of politics for my subsequent political disposition and destiny to be tied to Obi’s ambition. Impossible.
“For me, that cooperation ended with the Supreme Court judgment, right or wrong. There must be order in a society.”
“I was convinced in my heart that if the presidency was going to the South, then it must be an Igbo man from the South-East because I believe in equity and justice. You can also verify this with Papa Adebanjo. He is still alive. I did not support Obi because he was politically superior to me or because he was a friend or an associate.
“My unalloyed support and commitment to Obi was based on principle. Throughout my period as a DG campaign, I used my own car and never received one naira from Obi as a salary. It was a mutual friend who funded me personally throughout. This can be verified. In difficult times, I borrowed a substantial amount of money to ensure our zonal campaign in the South-West was a grand success. I was refunded by Peter Obi months later.
“You (Obidients) all hailed, praised, and honoured me because, in your understanding, you believed I was just a foolish politician who left his comfort zone to come and help you fulfil your own agenda. You were all wrong,” he added.
