The conviction of Dr. Doyin Okupe, the director-general of Peter Obi’s campaign organisation, for alleged money laundering has not deterred Obi from running for president of Nigeria, according to the Labour Party candidate.
Obi stated he was undaunted by the conviction and would continue with his campaign while allowing the proper process of law to play out during an encounter with media on Monday in Uyo at the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Akwa Ibom State Council Secretariat.
“I am hearing about it (the conviction) just like you. I am still studying what is coming out of the court and everything. I believe in the rule of law. It is not going to demoralise me.
“Today, when I arrived Akwa Ibom somebody asked me why I haven’t been using my aircraft because it has been grounded and all that, and I said to him that nothing demoralises me.
READ ALSO: Money Laundering: Okupe Pays N13m Fine After Conviction, Meets 4:30pm Deadline
“In my life, I have never stayed where they dropped me, otherwise, I would have been where they dropped me before. This election, if they like, let them do anything about people who are around me. I will get there,” Obi said.
According to a source, there are signs that the Labour Party (LP) may choose a new director general for its 2023 Presidential Campaign Council to succeed Doyin Okupe.
On Monday, Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of a Federal High Court in Abuja convicted Okupe guilty of receiving more than N200 million in cash from former National Security Adviser (NSA) Sambo Dasuki.
Okupe, the first defendant in the lawsuit brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), was found to have broken the Money Laundering Act, according to Justice Ojukwu.
The judge found that “there is no proof that the money travelled through a financial institution,” despite the fact that the Act mandates that no person or organisation receive any sum over N5 million or N10 million without first going through a financial institution.
The court ruled as a result that counts 34, 35, 36, and 59 against the first defendant, Dr. Okupe, were true.
The Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) responded to the earlier ruling through its media officer, Diran Onifade, and verified that Okupe had paid the N13 million punishment the court had imposed on him.
He asserted that because they respect the law, their representatives will swiftly abide by court orders.
Onifade countered that the PCC cannot sway Okupe’s decision to appeal the judgement because that is a personal choice.
Following his Monday conviction, Okupe accused his “enemies” of being to fault for his legal troubles in a tweet.
