Dr. Doyin Okupe, a former Director-General of the Labour Party Presidential Campaign, has refuted claims that the 2023 presidential election was rigged by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). In a statement issued on Thursday, November 21, 2024, in Lagos, Okupe addressed the allegations of electoral fraud that had circulated after the election, particularly those made by members of the opposition parties, including the Labour Party (LP) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Okupe, who previously served as the spokesman for Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, argued that the accusation of rigging against the APC did not hold up, citing specific examples where the ruling party had lost in key areas. “If Peter Obi (2023 LP presidential candidate) or the Labour Party says APC rigged elections, how come Obi was able to win in the home base of President Bola Tinubu?” he asked. He also pointed out that the APC lost elections in areas traditionally considered strongholds of the ruling party, including President Muhammadu Buhari’s home base and the area of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
“The accusations about rigging do not hold water; they do not hold water at all,” Okupe insisted, dismissing the claims of electoral fraud as baseless. He acknowledged, however, that while there might have been some irregularities, he believed the results reflected the true political dynamics of the country. “The truth of the matter is that under the best of conditions, the results we got may not have been the exact results, but they will have that ratio,” he explained, suggesting that the outcomes were a fair representation of the political landscape, despite potential flaws.
Okupe went on to criticize the opposition parties for being unrealistic in their claims that the presidency had been “stolen.” He stated unequivocally, “There’s nothing like that. No presidency was stolen,” further distancing himself from the narrative pushed by the opposition. Although he acknowledged that no election in Nigeria’s history had been completely free from manipulation, he emphasized that such irregularities were part of the country’s electoral history. “There was no election that we have done in Nigeria since 1960 till date that was not rigged one way or the other. Not one,” Okupe said.
The former Labour Party chieftain did make an exception, however, when discussing the 1993 presidential election. He noted that MKO Abiola’s election stood out due to the unique nature of the voting pattern, which involved the Option A4 system where votes were counted publicly. “Perhaps, an exception was MKO Abiola’s election because of the unique nature of the voting pattern. You know it was Option A4; people were counted,” Okupe remarked, acknowledging that this election had been different from others in Nigeria’s history.
Okupe also expressed strong support for the policies and reforms of President Bola Tinubu, stating that the President’s actions were well thought out and that the full impact of his policies would be felt in the coming years. “I believe in Tinubu’s reforms. His policies will begin to yield results from the second year of his administration,” Okupe said, adding that he had been impressed by Tinubu not just as a politician but also as a technocrat with a deep understanding of governance.
Describing Tinubu as a leader with a clear vision, Okupe said, “Tinubu has development ideologies and policies at his fingertips. This thing, you don’t learn it. It’s a gift.” He likened the President to the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the Premier of the defunct Western Region, praising Tinubu’s approach to public policy. “He is like Awolowo; he has great ideas about public policies,” Okupe said, highlighting the President’s potential for transformative leadership.
He further emphasized that it was “total nonsense” to claim that President Tinubu had entered office without a plan. “I have worked with two past presidents. I have studied other presidents closely from a very close point. I do not know any Nigerian president from 1960 to date who has come more armed, better prepared for governance than this gentleman,” Okupe stated. However, he acknowledged that Tinubu faced significant challenges, particularly due to the difficult economic and political climate he inherited.
Okupe stressed that it would be unfair to hold President Tinubu accountable for the systemic issues that have plagued Nigeria for decades. “It is going to be a couple of years of pain and hardship, but he is doing what other presidents for the last 10 years or 20 years have refused to do,” he said. He also noted the tough decisions Tinubu had to make upon assuming office, particularly in relation to Nigeria’s overwhelming debt burden. “By the time he came to the government, 98 per cent of our revenue generated was being used to pay debt,” Okupe pointed out, highlighting the fiscal constraints facing the administration.
The former presidential campaign director also called on Nigerians to be patient and supportive of the President as he navigated the country’s complex challenges. “The choice he had was to run and come into governance and just continue business as usual. But he didn’t do that,” Okupe explained. He emphasized that Tinubu’s determination to enact meaningful reforms would require time, and he urged Nigerians to stand behind the President as he worked to improve the country’s situation.
Okupe concluded his statement by likening Nigeria’s potential progress to the transformation seen in countries like Singapore and Malaysia, which transitioned from third-world nations to first-world economies. “Just like Singapore and Malaysia transited from third world to first world through determination, Tinubu is determined to move the country to greater heights,” Okupe said, underscoring the long-term vision of the current administration.
He reiterated the need for national unity and collective support for President Tinubu’s reform agenda. “I call on Nigerians to support the President to fix the problems slowing down the progress of the country,” Okupe said, urging citizens to be patient as the administration worked towards overcoming Nigeria’s economic and governance challenges.
