Dr. Doyin Okupe, a well-known political strategist and former presidential aide, has died at the age of 72. His family confirmed his passing on Friday.
He held key government positions, including Special Assistant on Media and Publicity for President Olusegun Obasanjo and Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs for President Goodluck Jonathan.
During the 2023 elections, he led Peter Obi’s presidential campaign as Director-General. However, his political career faced challenges. A court convicted him of money laundering in December 2022, leading to his resignation from Obi’s campaign. After the elections, he left the Labour Party and later supported President Bola Tinubu.
Okupe was outspoken and fearless in politics. Many respected him, while others found him controversial. Beyond politics, he worked as a physician and co-founded the Royal Cross Medical Centre. He also served as the National Publicity Secretary of the National Republican Convention (NRC).
His political journey included detention under General Sani Abacha. Later, officials disqualified him from the United Nigeria Congress Party (UNCP) primaries. He also ran for governor in Ogun State under the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
Okupe’s death marks the end of an era in Nigerian politics.
Leave a Reply