Doyin Okupe, a former presidential spokesperson who served under Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, has passed away at the age of 72.
His close associates confirmed his death. Akin Osuntokun, a longtime friend of Okupe, verified the news during a phone conversation with BusinessDay, stating that the former presidential aide had passed away.
Battle with Cancer
Okupe had been battling prostate cancer for several years before his passing. In October 2023, he traveled to Israel for treatment after being hospitalized, but his condition did not improve as expected.
His health struggles began 16 years ago when he was first diagnosed with prostate cancer. Later, he also developed sarcoma, a type of cancer, in his right shoulder.
Early Life and Medical Career
Born in Iperu, Ogun State, Okupe was the son of Chief Matthew Adekoya Okupe, a banker. He received his early education at St. Jude’s School in Lagos and Igbobi College before studying medicine at the University of Ibadan.
After becoming a medical doctor, he co-founded the Royal Cross Medical Centre in Lagos alongside two colleagues and served as its Managing Director.
Political Career
Okupe transitioned from medicine to politics, first serving as the spokesperson for the National Republican Convention.
He later became a media assistant to President Olusegun Obasanjo and subsequently served as a senior aide to President Goodluck Jonathan.
In 2022, he briefly held the position of vice-presidential candidate for the Labour Party before stepping down. He then took on the role of Director-General for the party’s Presidential Campaign team.
By January 2024, Okupe left the Labour Party, citing ideological differences. He described himself as a “rightist and liberal democrat,” which he felt was at odds with the Labour Party’s left-leaning stance. He acknowledged that he had only used the party as a platform for the 2023 elections after leaving the People’s Democratic Party.
Legal Issues
In December 2022, Okupe was convicted of violating money laundering laws by accepting over N200 million in cash from former National Security Adviser Col. Sambo Dasuki.
Nigerian law prohibits cash transactions exceeding N5 million without being processed through a bank, yet Okupe received multiple N10 million payments between 2012 and 2015.
A court sentenced him to two years in prison for each of the 26 counts against him but granted him the option of paying a N500,000 fine per count, totaling N13 million. He paid the fine immediately, avoiding incarceration.
Personal Life
Okupe was married to Aduralere Okupe and had several children, including Ditan and Bolu. In April 2020, he and his wife contracted COVID-19 but later recovered.
