- Safiu Kehinde
Former Deputy Manager of the 2023 Obi-Datti Campaign Organization, Isaac Balami, has revealed how late Nigerian politician, Dr. Doyin Okupe, was betrayed and lied against by the Labour Party.
NPO Reported that Okupe, who was a former Director-General of the 2023 Labour Party Presidential campaign, died on Friday, 7th of March after long battle with prostate cancer.
Prior to his death, the ex-Labour Party chieftain was heavily criticized by the opposition party following his return to the All Progressives Congress (APC), labelling him a betrayal.
In contrast to the narratives painted about Okupe, especially by the renowned Obidients movement, Balami held that the late politician is upright leader and was loyal to the Labour Party despite being betrayed.
Recounting Okupe’s sacrifice to Labour Party at his tribute ceremony on Friday, Balami alleged that he was betrayed by the party and never checked upon by any of its members during his health crisis.
“Everybody here who knows Dr. Doyin Okupe knows he is a very upright person. As a matter of fact, when the son was speaking, everything he said was correct except one thing he didn’t say well. He said when you offend Dr. Doyin Okupe and you genuinely asked for forgiveness, he will forgive you.
“My brother, Dr. Doyin Okupe was in pains. People that he gave his all for deserted him, betrayed him, lied on him, yet he forgave them.
“One thing that pains me the most today is when you google his name, you will see some few people saying all sorts of rubbish about him. This man was selfless.
“The only campaign I’ve ever been to, I was the campaign manager 1 nationwide. He was the DG of the campaign I was part of that to go to every state’s for the campaign.
“We have N100 million available for that day. Doyin Okupe would put all the money on the table and all the Directors would sit; he distributed the money and every deficit of three to 10 million Naira, he will produce from his account or raise it from elsewhere.
“After the campaign, he was left in debt. He never went anywhere- even though the campaign had billions. He paid for them himself.
“Today I watch people on he media say rubbish about such a man. I’ve never in my life, in my political journey, seen any politician that I’ve worked it that was that honest and transparent.
“Eighteen months after the campaign, he was still with the party he worked with. He was in pain. He was deserted by the people he worked with.
“At one point, I reached out on his behalf. They never called him or saying how are you feeling. They didn’t pick his call. And people sit down and said he left them because of money.
“That man was honourable. He didn’t go back to APC because if money. He told me one and said Malami, I went back because I’ve seen it all. I went back to reconcile with people that never hurt me and I want you guys to live in peace with everybody.
“One day, after a major surgery in the UK, Dr. Doyin Okupe landed in Abuja with the people he laboured for. They entered their cars.
“They saw how he grunt in the car. Six hours without sleeping on board. They were beside him and they never called him eighteen months later.
“And the same people hardly say a word that he was a good man. He was persecuted for them yet they did not.” Balami said.