Dr Doyin Okupe has been playing politics since the days of Chief Obafemi Awolowo. He is a force to reckon with in the polity today. In this interview with City People, he revealed why he decided to throw his weight behind Peter Obi, the Labour Party Presidential Candidate.
Below are excerpts, enjoy…
Why did you decide to support Peter Obi in the coming election considering the fact that you also wanted to run for the same position at some point?
I sincerely and truly wanted to run because I was totally dissatisfied with the way things are going on in the country with the feeling that nothing can be done about it. I had visceral anger. That’s why I said I will come out and run, especially because of the spate of insecurity. Again, I was also being emotive but I also believe in myself and my capacity including the fact that I had worked with 2 presidents as an insider.
I know very well the working of the government and I know what I can do to change so many things. After considering that many things came up in the country about Power Shift to the South and the discussion about Igbo Presidency and the fact that it is the only region in the country that is yet to produce a President.
I also spoke to my leaders in the South-West in persons of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Baba Adebanjo who I have so much respect. These are selfless leaders that have dedicated their lives to the pursuit of things that are good and beneficial to the majority of people, not just themselves, their ethnic group but nationally. I hold their opinion very high.
Recently, Baba Adebanjo told me “you are a righteous person. In truth, which zone should the president come from?” I told him that it should come from the South-East and he asked me why I was contesting. I told him that the country may not give them, especially from our party PDP. If they, don’t give them, they will say there is nobody in the South. So I came up as a default aspirant. It’s either something bad or good so I agreed. I decided to step out of the race to do what was right. It was also clear to me that PDP was fooling everybody. They were being political, the decision had been taken that it goes to the North, that is why all the ruckus about not going to the zone and all that came up. I saw that deception and mentioned it that this was their plan so I decided to team up with the South-East to fight the ticket for the South. When I took that decision, I looked at those coming from the South-East, at that time they were very few just Pius Anyim and Peter Obi, of course, Peter Obi totally towers shoulders high above every other aspirant not just in the South-East but nationally. So it did not take me anything to say that I will support him. Number one, he is from the zone that should be prefered for the president to come from. Number two, personally he has excelled as a person in his private life. He has also proven himself to be somebody dependable, prudent and careful in managing public funds. You cannot say that for many of us and that is a fact. So based on those reasons I decided to support Peter Obi.
At what point are you now with regards to this race?
Since we started, we have found favour in the eyes of God, men and people have seen through the honesty and good intentions of Peter Obi. At this present time, he represents the “Hope For Nigeria”. Nigeria over the years has become a total, hopeless state. People have lost hope and interest in the country. Many young people are in total confusion and disarray and they are the country in large numbers when I speak to young people, my children and others, they talk about leaving the country. But nobody is talking like that in very recent times. It is about fixing and getting Nigeria back. That is a different thing altogether. Peter Obi is no longer a politician who aspires to be the President. He is the arrowhead of a massive major movement going around the country. It has consumed the affairs of Southern Nigeria and it is slowly creeping into the North. Many young people including the Women call me from the North to show their support. So, most people in the established parties do not understand what is going on. A political Tsunami is slowly developing, a very silent revolution is building up and it is cumulating into people’s power. Firstly, it is starting with the youth then it will take their parents along. People talk about social media and that people on social media don’t vote fallacy. I live in Iperu, I went to eat somewhere there and people who are illiterates showed their support for what we are doing. This is not social media. I also want to tell you don’t underestimate the power of the new media. There are 30 million Nigeria in the new media before they had apathy and were in a state of hopelessness. Now, they have shown interest in the country and how to get their country back. If 30 million Nigerians believe in something and they want to do something about it, even if it’s 50 per cent of them that eventually carry out their wish by getting their voters card and voting it is going to affect the election.
Recently, the issue of running mate came up and there are talks that you have been picked as the running mate to Peter Obi. Can you tell us more about it?
Our entrance into Labour Party is just slightly over 3 weeks ago and we really cannot say that we have done enough to attract the quality manpower or personality that will see us through our dream. The position of the Vice President is a very high institutional position. If you don’t get it right, it can be a bedevilling point for the country and government. So you have to get somebody from the North, a Muslim and somebody most likely to be much younger in age than Peter Obi himself because we are looking at this era coming to be the government for the young people. To be the government to create a platform for the young creative energy of the youth to be expressed.
We need time to get that, so because the time INEC gave up to June 17 which was the deadline to present our presidential and Vice President candidates was not enough time for us. So we decided that I will stand in, for now, to continue till a final decision is made. We want to exhaust all platforms to be assured that we are taking the right decision. Not just us but the collation of everyone who believes in what Peter Obi is doing including the youth. We have a lot of them now including countless support groups nationwide who are operating voluntarily with consideration. We have a wide network of concentration across the country, you will be surprised it is like a village square meeting everyone has an opinion.
That is why I was just put there to fulfil the requirement of INEC. We cannot say because we don’t have a candidate so we are going to hide, no.
The electoral law allows for substitution at a future date gives us the window to continue with our search. We have not lied, I am officially the Vice Presidential candidate but in the fullness of time and we have exhausted all our consultations and things we need to do and we feel differently, I will step down for someone who will fill the slot.
Why has the South-East been unable to be President over the years?
You cannot discountenance the effects of the Civil War. It happens almost everywhere, once there is a Civil war, the side that loses tends to lose recognition and things that naturally should be given to them. The Civil war happened in 1966, we should end the Civil war and everything that happened. We should forget it, the animosity, hatred and unforgiveness. We need to end it as a nation. That is my position.
It doesn’t make sense to me because you see what has happened to the Igbos in this administration. The Igbos have been relegated to nothing. There is a section of the Igbos that want to go and we are saying No. If you cannot recognise them, you should not stop them from going. If you stop them from going, you must recognise them as full-fledged citizens in this country.
Those you consider to be second-class citizens should go, so those who remain are on the same level. If everyone should be on the same level then all of us should have the same status in the country.
READ ALSO: INSIDE LEKKI ESTATE IN LAGOS WHERE CELEBRITIES BUY HOUSES
Send Us News, Gist, more... to citypeopleng@gmail.com | Twitter: @CitypeopleMagz
