Okupe’s Possible Replacement Speaks As Embattled LP DG Announces Resignation

There is an urgent need for the Labour Party to name another person as its 2023 Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) Director-General following Doyin Okupe’s resignation from the position.

Naija News reports that Okupe announced his resignation from the position on Tuesday (today) following his conviction over alleged money laundering to the tune of over N200 million by the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The court said Okupe received the money from National Security Adviser (NSA) Sambo Dasuki. Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu submitted that Okupe’s action was in violation of the Money Laundering Act.

One of the potential replacements for Okupe as Obi’s campaign DG is the National deputy campaign manager of the Obi-Datti movement, David Isaac Balami.

However, Balami on Tuesday asked Nigerians to disregard any speculation of him taking the position after Okupe.

According to him, the reports making the rounds, especially on social media, of him replacing Doyin Okupe are nothing but fake.

In a statement signed by his Media and Publicity Aide, Olusegun Dosunmu, the party chieftain said: “My attention has been drawn to fallacious and very disturbing news with the caption above making the rounds, especially on social media.

“I wish to hereby address the report with the above heading as completely false and baseless: it is a deliberate falsehood against my person and office in the present political dispensation. Calculated to serve the selfish and dastardly intentions of certain remote persons aiming to distract and derail the cohesion so far responsible for the unending successes of the Labour Party’s campaigns across Nigeria.

“This allegation, a false representation of my personality, is spurious and malicious. It is a futile effort to pitch me and my office against my superiors and my fellow hardworking campaign council members, whom I have always had the utmost regard and love for.”

Balami stressed that the news is a piece from mischief makers who think they can derail the Labour Party and also diminish the influence of the next President of Nigeria, Peter Obi, by attacking the unity of purpose of his campaign team working hard to make Nigeria great again.

He added: “I must therefore and hereby unequivocally reiterate that I am NOT interested in the office of the Director General of the Obi/Datti Presidential campaign. I am only here to serve in any role assigned to me by my superiors at the campaign council.

“This statement must therefore lay to rest the fabricated lies and insinuations that have thus fallen short of being weak and untimely: our strong family bond in Labour Party will only grow stronger and more intentional – our focus on victory will never shift. All who intend to repeat or continue the publication of spurious and unfounded stories and allegations against either my person and office or against anyone for that matter in the Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council SHOULD desist from this forthwith.

“Anyone sponsoring this selfishly motivated and deliberate campaign of calumny aimed at causing disaffection amongst our presidential campaign council has failed and has hereby been warned.
“I would like to appreciate everyone who reached out to me to speedily dispel this falsehood and cowardice.

“I remain committed to playing an integral role in enthroning a credible government in 2023 and I cannot be more certain that only the LABOUR PARTY, with our great team of patriots in the campaign team, can make this happen”.