Labour Party could replace Okupe as Obi’s campaign DG due to money laundering

There are signs that the Labour Party (LP) might replace Doyin Okupe as director general of its 2023 presidential campaign council with someone else.

In an interview with Channels Television on Monday, a reliable source within the party said that Okupe’s replacement is already in the works.

However, the source claimed that Okupe himself would participate in the decision-making process.

Even though he wouldn’t name any other possible candidates, Akin Oshuntokun, a former presidential assistant, is thought to be the front-runner to replace Okupe.

Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of a Federal High Court in Abuja found Okupe guilty on Monday of getting cash from former National Security Adviser (NSA) Sambo Dasuki worth more than N200 million.

Okupe, the first defendant in the lawsuit brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), was found to have broken the Money Laundering Act, according to Justice Ojukwu.

The judge found that “there is no proof that the money travelled through a financial institution,” despite the fact that the Act mandates that no person or organisation receive any sum over N5 million or N10 million without first going through a financial institution.

The court ruled as a result that counts 34, 35, 36, and 59 against the first defendant, Dr. Okupe, were true.

The Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) responded to the earlier ruling through its media officer, Diran Onifade, and confirmed that Okupe had paid the N13 million fine the court had given him.

He said that their representatives will quickly follow court orders because they respect the law.

Onifade said that the PCC can’t change Okupe’s mind about whether or not to appeal the decision, since that’s a personal choice.

Following his Monday conviction, Okupe accused his “enemies” of being to blame for his legal troubles in a tweet.