Campaign DG: Why I Accepted To Become Okupe’s Successor – Osuntokun

Akin Osuntokun, the new director general of the Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Council, claimed he took the position without any bias toward any particular religion or race.

He also denied rumors that he might have pushed for or advocated for his new position.

READ ALSO:  Campaign DG: Seven Things To Know About Okupe’s Successor, Akin Osuntokun

In response to inquiries from The Punch, Osuntokun discussed how he would handle criticism from the South West, which is dominated by the All Progressives Congress and supporters of its presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, for choosing to collaborate with the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi.

He said, “We are taking Nigeria away from the culture of sentiments. We are not going to help in perpetuating those primordial sentiments. Being a Yoruba man, Igbo or Fulani should not be a determinant to winning the election this time.

“Otherwise, we will be holding ourselves responsible for all things that have gone wrong in this country. The question should be about competence and antecedents.”

When asked if there would be any pressure on him when Okupe left his position, Osuntokun acknowledged that he wouldn’t be the only one facing it.

Osuntokun claimed that despite the added obligations that may come with his new position, he was up to the challenge of handling stress.

According to him, “Of course, so will be the other DGs of other campaigns. Anybody in the campaign hierarchy will necessarily be under pressure until after the election. It is not an armchair position.

“Naturally, I feel good about it. I look forward to the new role. It didn’t come to me as a shock. I didn’t lobby for it.

“As the zonal coordinator of the South West and in the hierarchy of the campaign organisation, I am next to the DG of the South West. If we look at it from that perspective, it didn’t come to me as a surprise. That is the simple explanation for that.”

The former managing director of News Agency of Nigeria explained how he planned to get started quickly by stating that he has a vast amount of experience in terms of taking part in the presidential election in Nigeria.

“It is not new terrain. I led the 2003 and 2007 presidential elections as a political adviser,” he said.

Tuesday in Abuja saw the introduction of the new campaign manager for Obi, a former adviser to President Olusegun Obasanjo.

He succeeded Doyin Okupe, the previous DG, who announced his resignation in a letter last Tuesday in response to an Abuja Federal High Court decision finding him guilty of breaking the Money Laundering Act.

Obi’s media assistant, Emeka Obasi, informed our correspondent two days prior that the new DG appointed to lead the campaign council would be revealed in 48 hours.

But after leaving a party strategy session where Obi, members of the National Working Committee, and a number of Labour Party candidates were present, LP National Chairman Julius Abure told press that Osuntokun was the chosen one.

He said Okupe would be replaced by the former managing director of NAN, who was “worthy and trustworthy.”

Following his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party to the LP in August 2022, Osuntokun was named the party’s South West leader.