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Doyin Okupe, the former director-general of the Labour Party’s presidential campaign in 2023, has announced that he “cannot support” Peter Obi again following Obi’s controversial comments regarding the economic situation in Nigeria.
In an interview with Channels Television’s Seun Okinbaloye, Okupe expressed his discontent with Obi’s remarks, which he perceived as an insult to the Yoruba people.
In a viral clip, Obi highlighted the struggles people in the southwest faced under President Bola Tinubu’s leadership, stating, “Rice is about N100,000. We are not even sure where we are going to be.
‘It’s our turn’, ‘he is a Yoruba man’ — ask the people in Ogun, here is there any place you people buy bread cheaper?” This sparked mixed reactions on social media, with some supporting Obi while others criticized him.
Okupe condemned Obi’s statements, asserting, “When Obi made that statement, it insulted us. I am a Yoruba man; I left everything and followed Obi.”
He emphasized Obi’s significant support from prominent Yoruba figures during his campaign, saying, “If all these eminent Yoruba people supported you, why now bring us down publicly? It is wrong.”
Reflecting on his past support, Okupe remarked, “I do not regret supporting Peter Obi. But now I cannot do it again,” explaining that his initial backing stemmed from the agreement that a southern president must emerge, which he believed should come from the southeast.