Dr. Doyin Okupe, a former presidential spokesperson and political figure in Nigeria, has passed away at the age of 72. His death was confirmed on Friday, March 7, 2025.
Sources close to the family revealed that Okupe had been critically ill for weeks before his passing, with reports linking his death to cancer. He had a long history of battling prostate cancer, which he was first diagnosed with 16 years ago, and later developed sarcoma in his right shoulder. In October 2023, he was hospitalized for prostate cancer and later flown to Israel for treatment. However, his condition did not improve as hoped.
Okupe, who served as the Director-General of Peter Obi’s Presidential Campaign, stepped down following a court conviction for money laundering. After the 2023 general election, he resigned from the Labour Party and later became a vocal supporter of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Biography
Adedoyin Ajibike Okupe was born on March 22, 1952, in Iperu, Ogun State, Nigeria. A trained medical doctor, he co-founded the Royal Cross Medical Centre. His early education included St. Jude’s School, Ebute Metta, Igbobi College, and the University of Ibadan. He was the son of Chief Matthew Adekoya Okupe, a banker, and had several siblings, including Kunle, Owo, Wemi, Larry, Aina, and Bisola.
Career
Although a medical doctor, Okupe was deeply involved in politics. He was once a publisher of a health newspaper, Life Mirror, and worked in both government and private hospitals before co-founding Royal Cross Medical Centre in Lagos. He also played a key role in saving lives, including that of a gunshot victim in 1994.
His political journey began in the Second Republic when he ran for the House of Representatives under the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) in 1983. He later served as the National Publicity Secretary of the National Republican Convention (NRC) during the Third Republic and was part of the team that observed the collation of the controversial 1993 presidential election results.
Okupe was detained by the military regime of General Sani Abacha in 1996 and later disqualified from contesting in the United Nigeria Congress Party (UNCP) primaries in 1998.
During Nigeria’s Fourth Republic, he was appointed Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to President Olusegun Obasanjo. In 2012, President Goodluck Jonathan appointed him as Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs. Over the years, he worked as a media strategist for various political figures, including Obasanjo, Jonathan, Bukola Saraki, and Atiku Abubakar.
Okupe’s political affiliations shifted over time. He left the PDP in 2017 to join the Accord Party but was later expelled in 2018 for supporting Saraki’s presidential campaign. He returned to the PDP and later joined the Labour Party before the 2023 elections, briefly serving as the vice-presidential placeholder for Peter Obi.
Personal Life
Okupe was married to Aduralere Okupe and had two children. His son, Ditan, supported Muhammadu Buhari in the 2019 elections, while another son, Bolu, publicly came out as gay in 2021 and later supported Peter Obi in the 2023 elections.
In April 2020, Okupe and his wife tested positive for COVID-19 but later recovered.
Legal Controversies
Okupe faced several corruption allegations throughout his career. In 2012, he and his companies were investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over uncompleted road contracts in Benue and Imo States.
In 2016, the EFCC linked him to ₦702 million allegedly traced to the $2 billion arms deal scandal, also known as Dasukigate. He was arraigned in 2019 on a 59-count charge of money laundering and diversion of public funds.
Despite his legal troubles, Okupe remained an influential figure in Nigerian politics until his passing.(theconclaveng)
