Okupe resigns as Labour Party presidential campaign DG

Barely 24 hours after he was convicted for money laundering, Director General of the Labour Party Presidential Campaign, Doyin Okupe, has resigned.

The resignation on Tuesday, it was learnt, was to enable him to pursue his corruption case in court.

This was conveyed in a letter to his principal, the presidential candidate of the party, Mr Peter Obi.

Okupe on Monday was found guilty of receiving over N200 million cash from former National Security Adviser (NSA) Sambo Dasuki by Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of a Federal High Court in Abuja.

Justice Ojukwu held that the action of Okupe, who is the first defendant in the suit filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), violated the Money Laundering Act.

While stating that the Act provides that no individual or organisation shall receive any sum above N5 million and N10 million respectively without passing through a financial institution, the judge held that “there is no evidence that the money passed through a financial institution.”

The court consequently held that the first defendant, Dr Okupe, was guilty in counts 34, 35, 36, and 59.

Reacting to the judgement earlier through its Media Officer, Diran Onifade, the Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), confirmed that Okupe had paid N13m fine handed to him by the court.

He said as the party that respects the rule of law, its officials would obey court judgment promptly.

Onifade, however, said appealing the judgment is a personal decision of Okupe.