By Ere-ebi Agedah
A former member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and ex-aide to Olusegun Obasanjo, Chief Doyin Okupe, has been named the Director General of the campaign as the opposition Labour Party (LP) on Wednesday unveiled a 1,234-member presidential campaign council ahead of the 2023 election.
Others are Oseluka Obaze, the Deputy Director General and General Manager of the campaign; Alhaji Yusuf Bello Maitama, the Deputy Director General (North), and Denzel Kentebe, the Deputy Director General (South).
Addressing a press conference just before the unveiling, Okupe said there was no doubt that the ascendancy of the Labour Party presidential candidate to a “prime position in the hearts and minds of the Nigerian people, has been fuelled by the patriotic zeal, vibrancy, creativity and shining example, in discipline, character and decency of the Obidient movement.”
He maintained that the Labour Party and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi are determined to recover the country and reposition its fortunes from years of bad governance.
Okupe noted that the 2023 election is the biggest integrity test for the electoral body while stating that any attempt to influence the outcome of the election will be met with stiff resistance.
He alleged that there were reports of the ruling party attempting to influence the electoral umpire by planting some of its card carrying members in the commission and redeploying some officials who are instrumental to the working of the system to a rather redundant beats.
He said: “To INEC we say, this is the your biggest test in recent history, and you have no choice, but to act as a fair, impartial, fearless and patriotic umpire, in the coming elections.
“We have noted with extreme concern and worry, the revelations by the Congress of Political Parties (CUPP), as to how presumed agents of the ruling party have infiltrated and compromised the INEC voter registration portals in 18 states.
“We have also noted, painfully, the concerns expressed by various NGOs, about how the ruling party has smuggled card carrying members of the party, into the INEC officials appointment process, setting them up as Recs, and other key operational personnel.”
He warned that the party will not shy away from legally and robustly engaging any evil attempt, to compromise due process, equity ,transparency and fairness in the election.
In attendance at the unveiling of the council members included, Labour Party National secretary, Alhaji Umaru Farouk, who stood in for the national chairman, the national organizing secretary, Clement Ojukwu among other dignataries.
