OKUPE’S SOJOURN AND SUCCESSES IN POLITICS
Doyin Okupe is a Nigerian medical doctor and a son of the late Chief Matthew Adekoya Okupe, a banker. Indigene of Ogun State, Nigeria. Okupe was the Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs to Nigeria’s former President Goodluck Jonathan. Before his recent appointment by former President Jonathan in the year 2012, Doyin Okupe was a spokesman for former President Olusegun Obasanjo and a former governorship aspirant under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ogun State in the year 2003.
Dr. Okupe, a Chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was actually the Special Adviser on Media to President Olusegun Obasanjo from the inception of that administration in the year 1999. During the Johnathan’s administration, Doyin Okupe was also appointed a member of the publicity committee of the Goodluck Jonathan’s Presidential campaign council in the year 2011, and at the conclusion of the presidential primaries, Okupe was appointed one of the spokesmen of the President’s campaign organization.
Former Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs to immediate past President Goodluck Jonathan, Doyin Okupe did his best for the nation that he so much love and cherish as evident in the various spheres of public life he held and the performance records with which he marked these positions. The same way he scored great marks and goals as a party man who’s both spirited and sincere with the right political ideals in his erstwhile political party, the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, which he had to quit as a result of the fact that the party has been embroiled in a fratricidal internal crisis brought upon it by itself.
Okupe believes that the current direction the PDP is heading is difficult to discern as there seems to be too much deception, selfishness and gross nepotism in the polity nationally. He reminisced on the golden past of Nigeria’s political dealings, saying the Northern NRC politicians will under no circumstance undermine their party for any parochial reason. Also neither will a Southern NRC politician, under any circumstance betray their party.
He referred to the level of party loyalty which existed even during the Third Republic as he said the commitment in the North was more profound. In his words, even the Northern SDP rejected a distinguished successful Kano born Presidential Candidate, Alhaji Bashir Tofa, and voted for a Southern Yoruba muslim candidate. Worse than that, both Abiola and his running mate, Amb. Baba Gana Kingibe were muslims. Yet, it did not matter. Today, political parties have lost their importance and identities. Once the candidate is Northern, his party is immaterial, all northerners, irrespective of their professed party affiliations will vote for him.
And for Okupe, this is the major reason there has been total absence of opposition in the country in the last two years, and may probably be responsible for the polarization and sharp ethnic divisions we are currently witnessing in the country, noting that there is intense anger and loud call for secession in the east, in the south-south, there is absolute indignation and very resolute demand for total control of their resources, while the south-west is bellicose and hell bent on true federalism and restructuring which many prominent Northerners openly oppose for good or for bad, and believing that under these circumstances, political parties have lost their flavor.
He laments the fact that the political confusion has percolate to the states, and his state, Ogun, being one of the worst hit. In Ogun State, the leadership of the party has been irredeemably fictionalized for nearly a decade, divided broadly into two major factions, and expectedly, a thorough mind like his has no business fitting into either group, hence it becomes extremely difficult for the distinguished Okupe to operate as a politician under the PDP umbrella in the state.
Since the situation in Nigeria’s political system may, in the nearest future, require that matured men of goodwill standby to play a unifying role for political stability of the country, it can only be worthy to sanitise the political space while ensuring that they are pillar pilots who are driven by patriotic dispositions and not materialistic tendencies.
Although the political polution, as it were, has motivated Okupe to withdraw a bit and study the political situation more critically and thereafter to take a decision soonest on his next political move, he is sure to miss friends, associates, comrades and co-travelers on the tortuous political journies and adventure.
Profound personality that Okupe is, he seems spiritedly glued to the PDP despite the present physical differentiation as he worded that despite of his stated pessimism, he yet expresses sincere best wishes to the more courageous party faithfuls who he left in the party and pray for God’s guidance for them. In all of these, Dr. Okupe remains eternally grateful to God, while he continues to offer his best to his country Nigeria is his capacity as a sturdy citizen.