I Do Not Regret Supporting Peter Obi, But I Cannot Do It Again,” Says Doyin Okupe, Citing Disappointment Over Recent Remarks

In a recent interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Doyin Okupe, former director-general of the Labour Party (LP) presidential campaign, expressed his disappointment with Peter Obi, the LP’s 2023 presidential candidate, stating that he “cannot support” Obi again in any future campaigns.

Okupe’s comments were made in response to a viral video in which Obi discussed Nigeria’s current economic challenges, questioning whether the situation had improved for the southwest region, despite President Bola Tinubu being from the area. Obi remarked on the high cost of living, highlighting the soaring price of staples like rice, now at nearly N100,000, and questioning if residents of southwestern states such as Ogun see any economic relief from a “Yoruba presidency.”

The video sparked heated debate on social media, with reactions both defending and criticizing Obi’s words. Okupe joined the critics, calling Obi’s remarks an “insult” to the people of the southwest and a disappointment to those who had previously backed him.

“As a Yoruba man who supported him fully, I feel Obi’s comment insulted us,” Okupe said during the interview. He pointed out that prominent Yoruba leaders, including former President Olusegun Obasanjo, had stepped out of their political circles to endorse Obi’s candidacy in 2023, showing unprecedented support from the southwest for a southeastern candidate. Okupe explained that his support for Obi was based on a shared vision for a southern presidency, with the hope that it would go to a candidate from the southeast.

Reflecting on his former loyalty, Okupe clarified, “I do not regret supporting Peter Obi. But now, I cannot do it again. We agreed that a southern president was essential, and I believed the southeast deserved that chance. But for Obi to now make statements that publicly criticize the southwest, after we gave him our support, is deeply disappointing.”