The Director-General of the Labour Party’s presidential campaign for the 2023 election, Dr. Doyin Okupe, has accused the party’s candidate, Peter Obi, of betraying the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Atiku Abubakar, to pursue his own presidential ambitions.
Okupe stated this in a viral video circulated on social media on Friday, clarifying his reasons for withdrawing support from Obi.
According to Okupe, Obi’s decision to contest the 2023 presidential election led him to break ranks with Atiku, who had initially brought Obi into national politics by selecting him as his vice-presidential candidate in the 2019 election.
Okupe vehemently denied allegations that he betrayed Obi, explaining that his decision to distance himself was based on a personal choice to end his political association with the Labour Party candidate.
“They said I betrayed Obi. No. How can I betray him? I started politics in 1978. Obi was nowhere else. My life and political destiny cannot be tied to Obi’s ambition. I wish Obi well, but I am done with him,” Okupe asserted.
He continued by emphasizing that Obi’s ambition to contest in 2023 was valid but led him to a conflict with Atiku. “Obi was the vice-presidential candidate of Atiku Abubakar in 2019.
He brought him to the national limelight. Because of his own ambition, which was correct and due, Obi left the party and contested against Atiku.”
Okupe revealed that his initial support for Obi was influenced by Pa Ayo Adebanjo, a leader of the Yoruba socio-political group Afenifere.
Adebanjo had convinced Okupe to back a candidate from the South-East, advocating for regional fairness and the need for the South to produce Nigeria’s president in 2023.
Okupe recounted a conversation with Adebanjo, highlighting the collective decision to support Obi: “Baba Adebanjo called me and said he heard that I wanted to contest for the presidential election, and I said yes… Baba said we should support the South-East for the presidency and I agreed.”
Okupe detailed his journey with Obi, explaining that he withdrew his presidential aspirations to support the Labour Party candidate before even meeting him.
“I went to the Press Centre in Abeokuta to declare that I was withdrawing from the race, and that I would support Peter Obi. By that time, I hadn’t met Obi… Five days later, Obi called me on the phone and requested to see me. We met and discussed and he made me the Director-General of his campaign.”
Despite a strong campaign, Okupe acknowledged the party’s shortcomings, citing inadequate national structure as a critical factor in their electoral defeat.
“We ran a fantastic campaign; we did a lot of mobilisation, but we had our flaws and shortcomings.
The party was grossly and inadequately arranged to cover a national election. We didn’t have what it took. The structure that covered the entire country wasn’t there.”
In response to Okupe’s comments, the Chairman of the Labour Party in Osun State, Bello Adebayo, refuted claims of betrayal, defending Obi’s actions.
“Obi didn’t betray anybody; it is not correct to say he betrayed Atiku because he didn’t contest the PDP presidential ticket with him in PDP,” Adebayo stated, highlighting the complexity and differing perspectives within the political landscape.
Okupe’s public declaration marks a significant moment in the post-election analysis, shedding light on internal party dynamics and the challenges faced by emerging political movements in Nigeria.
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