As Obi unveils new DG Osuntokun, Fani-Kayode mocks him for joining ‘losing side’

The Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has officially unveiled Akin Osuntokun as the new Director General of the Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Council.

But former Minister of Aviation and member of the ruling All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council, Femi Fani-Kayode, has mocked Osuntokun as joining a ‘losing side’.

Obi formally unveiled Osuntokun in Abuja, on Tuesday, hours after the Labour Party’s National Chairman, Julious Abure, announced the appointment of the former Political Adviser to former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

While fielding questions from journalists after the unveiling ceremony, Obi said for as long as there are Nigerians who are forced to leave their homes to live in Internally Displaced Persons camps, Nigeria remains an IDP camp.

The LP candidate explained that his aspiration was built on his conviction that Nigerians deserve better leadership than what they were getting at the moment.

He said, “We are trying to build a better Nigeria. Over this period, I have been traveling, I have been in various states visiting people in difficult positions, and living in IDP camps.

“If Nigerians are made to leave their homes and live in IDP camps, then Nigeria as a country is an IDP camp because these are Nigerians that should be in their homes.

“The purpose of government is to care for its citizens and the first line of care is the less privileged, government takes care of the less privileged people.

“My commitment is to ensure that every Nigerian sleeps and wakes up feeling proud to be a Nigerian and not live in an IDP camp.”

Osuntokun took over from Dr Doyin Okupe, who resigned from the position earlier.

This effectively ended weeks of speculations about the possible replacement for Doyin Okupe.

Okupe had resigned from the position to appeal his conviction for money laundering.

He paid N13 million as the option of a fine to avoid a two-year jail term that he would have served for the offence.

Until his appointment, Osuntokun was the Zonal Coordinator(South), of the Obi-Datti Campaign.

He is a trained Nigerian political scientist, strategist, researcher, administrator, journalist, and writer, with experience in media advocacy, policy research and implementation, and political analysis.

He was also at one time Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria, Osuntokun served as Political Adviser to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, and as Director of the Presidential campaign of the People’s Democratic Party in 2011.

Meanwhile, Femi Fani-Kayode has ‘congratulated’ Akin Osuntokun, the new DG of the of Labour Party who he described as a formidable force.

Fani-Kayode made this assertion in statement via his verified Twitter handle on Tuesday, adding that he had teamed up with a losing side.

He stated, “Congrats to my brother Bashorun Akin Osuntokun on his appointment as DG of the Obi/Dati PCC. I respect Akin & we have fought many battles shoulder-to-shoulder against our common foes for over 30 years. He has joined the losing side but he will be a formidable adversary.

“..look forward to joining issues, crossing swords and meeting my brother in the field of battle.

“Peter the Pooh and Dati the Daft have absolutely NO chance of winning this election even with a tough and courageous soul and brilliant mind like Akin leading their campaign,” he added.