“Power cannot return to the north yet” – Doyin Okupe

Former presidential aide, Doyin Okupe claims that in 2027, the presidency would not go back to northern Nigeria.

Speaking on Monday, on Arise Television’s “Prime Time,” Okupe remembered the precedents that led to the presidency of Olusegun Obasanjo.

He claimed there was an “unwritten national consensus to elect south-western leaders” in 1999.

According to him, this was to appease the area after the 1993 election was canceled and MKO Abiola passed away.

He asserted that sectionalism is “most fundamental reason behind Nigeria’s stagnation”.

He said: “Those who control the affairs of this nation, in terms of politics before now, were more interested in national interest than sectional interest”.

“Our failure to evolve a national elite system is one of the most fundamental problems why Nigeria is stagnating because we all pull in different directions.

“For 2027, we politicians, and I say that authoritatively without any fear of contradiction or equivocation… in 2027, power cannot return to the north yet.

“That’s not how we do it.

“The truth is that there are stakeholders in this country and ways things have been managed since 1960.

“The country might have not made giant strides economically but in terms of politics, we have managed it in such a way that has kept the country together.

“When Obasanjo became president, there was an unwritten national consensus that a south-western person will be president.

“The two candidates for that election were Obasanjo and Olu Falae.

“So head or tail, south-west wins”.

Between the north and the south

Okupe maintained that power rotates between the north and the south, stating that each region takes over from the other after eight years.

“We rotate between the north and the south.

“The north does eight years, at the end of which the south does eight years.

“I’m not saying that Bola Tinubu must be president in 2027, but it’s not going to be a northerner”, he stated.

The former spokesperson claimed that previous leaders had failed to develop a younger elite class.

He added that they had spent 25 years managing the nation’s affairs through political balancing.

“Unfortunately, and I regret to say this, they’ve not been able to raise an elite class, a younger group, that can effectively take over from them along the same platforms on which we have grounded this polity to the way it is today”, Okupe added.

About Doyin Okupe

Doyin Okupe is a Nigerian physician, politician, and former presidential aide.

He was born on March 22, 1952, in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria.

Okupe’s career has spanned several fields, including medicine, politics, and public service.

Okupe began his career as a medical doctor, graduating from the University of Ibadan with a degree in Medicine.

He worked in various hospitals before venturing into politics in the 1990s.

He was a member of the National Republican Convention (NRC) and later joined the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

Okupe’s entry into the public service began in 1999 when he was appointed as a Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to President Olusegun Obasanjo.

He served in this role until 2003.

Later, he became the Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs to President Goodluck Jonathan from 2012 to 2015.

In 2019, Okupe was appointed as the Director-General of the Bukola Saraki Presidential Campaign Organization.

He has been an active participant in Nigerian politics, often sharing his opinions on governance and politics through social media and public appearances.

However, Okupe has also been involved in several controversies throughout his career.

In 2016, he was charged with money laundering by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

He was accused of receiving N702 million from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) without any contract.

Okupe has also faced criticism for some of his comments on social media, which some have deemed insensitive or divisive.

Despite these challenges, Okupe remains a prominent figure in Nigerian politics.

He continues to share his opinions on governance and politics.

For Diaspora Digital Media Updates click on Whatsapp, or Telegram. For eyewitness accounts/ reports/ articles, write to: citizenreports@diasporadigitalmedia.com. Follow us on X (Fomerly Twitter) or Facebook