The presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi has said that the conviction of his campaign Director General, Mr Doyin Okupe cannot break his resolve to be Nigeria’s president come 2023.
Obi stated this on Monday during an interactive session with journalists in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital saying that he is undaunted by the conviction Okupe over alleged money laundering.
“I am hearing about it (the conviction) just like you. I am still studying what is coming out of the courts and everything. I believe in the rule of law. It is not going to demoralize 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 demoralizes me.
“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 anything about people who are around me. I will get there”.
On the impression that he does not have political structure to win the presidential election, he said he was determined to dismantle the existing political structure in the country which encourages corruption and spreads poverty among Nigerians.
“The structure they have today is the structure we want to destroy. It is the structure of criminality. It is structure that produced 133 million people living in poverty, it is the structure that produced 20 million out-of-school children. It is the structure that has made Nigeria surpass India in infant mortality. It is the structure that will destroy Nigeria and we want to destroy that structure”, he said.
The LP presidential candidate said if elected president he will work towards the realization of the Ibaka Deep seaport in Akwa Ibom State.
Obi maintained that he intends to make Nigeria a country of production rather than a consumer Nation, noting that over-dependent on crude oil is what has destroyed the country.
Also, there are indications that the Labour Party (LP) may replace Doyin Okupe as the Director-General of its 2023 Presidential Campaign Council, Channels Television has learnt.
An impeccable source within the party, who spoke exclusively with our correspondent on Monday, confirmed that talks are already ongoing to replace Okupe.
The source, however, said the decision will be jointly taken by all concerned including Okupe himself.
Although he declined to mention possible replacements, fillers have former presidential aide, Akin Oshuntokun as a front runner to take Okupe’s position.
Credit: The Nigeria Lawyers