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LP: Osuntokun replaces Okupe as presidential campaign D-G

Clement Daniel with Agency report
Clement Daniel with Agency report
LP: Osuntokun replaces Okupe as presidential campaign D-G
Akin Osuntokun

The national chairman of Labour Party, LP, Mr Julius Abure, has announced Mr Akin Osuntokun as the new Director-General of the party’s Presidential Campaign Council to replace Mr Doyin Okupe.

Abure made the announcement at a meeting of the National Working Committee of the party on Tuesday in Abuja.

Okupe announced the resignation of his position as the director-general of the Labour Party Presidential Campaign Organisation, LPPCO.

His resignation is contained in a letter addressed to the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, and dated December 20, 2022.

The resignation followed his conviction over money laundering offences on Monday by a Federal High Court, Abuja.

The letter reads: “You will recall that I briefed you yesterday about my personal travails in seeking justice and clearing my name using the Nigerian Legal System to pursue same.

“I have invested too much in your campaign to allow my personal travails to become a source of distraction.

“In the circumstances, I have opted to step aside and plead that you appoint a new Campaign DG who can continue the assignment with zero distractions.”

Recall that Okupe, former Senior Special Assistant, SSA, on Media to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, was sentenced to two years imprisonment over a case of money laundering.

Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu, in a judgment, found Okupe guilty in 26 out of the 59 counts preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, in the money laundering offence.

The judge ordered that the 26 counts, which attracted two-year jail-term each, would run concurrently.

The judge, however, gave an option of N500, 000 in each of the counts, amounting to N13 million, which must be paid before 4:30 p.m. (the close of work) today.

The wife and son of Okupe had pleaded for leniency after he was convicted.

READ ALSO: Peter Obi reacts to conviction of Okupe over money laundering

Besides, former Governor of old Anambra State, Chief Chukwuemeka Ezeife, and former National Orientation Agency, NOA, Dr Idi Farouk, had also urged the court to temper justice with mercy in Okupe’s sentencing.

The court, presided over by Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu, had convicted Okupe for breaching the Money Laundering Act.

Justice Ojukwu, in a judgment, held that Okupe was found guilty of contravening Sections 16(1)&(2) of the Money Laundering Act, for accepting cash payments without going through financial institution, in excess of the threshold allowed under the Act.

Okupe was said to have received N240 million in cash from the office of the former National Security Adviser, NSA, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retired).

The judge had, earlier, stood down proceedings for Okupe to exercise his right under Section 310 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) to call witnesses to testify about his character, before the court could proceed to pronounce sentence on the convict.

Meanwhile, Okupe paid the sum of N13 million fine for the 52-year jail term bagged for N240 million money laundering offence.

By that, he escaped going to jail.

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