Doyin Okupe calls Labour party ‘special purpose vehicle’

Former director-general of the Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council, Doyin Okupe, disclosed in an interview on Arise Television that he and Peter Obi viewed the Labour Party as merely a “special purpose vehicle” for the presidential election.

Okupe clarified that neither he nor Obi truly believed in the ideologies of the Labour Party, emphasizing its temporary nature for their political objectives.

Earlier in January, Okupe resigned from the Labour Party, citing ideological differences. He clarified that his membership ended when Obi lost the election.

He explained, “The LP for us — for Peter Obi and I — and those in the leadership of the movement, the party was a special purpose vehicle… We thought that if we won the election, there would be no fast and hard rules about ideologies.”

He further elaborated, “Peter Obi is not a Labour person. He is not a leftist person, he is a trader, he is a businessman just like me. I am a liberal democrat, I believe in liberal democracy, I believe in free enterprise.”

Okupe’s statement sheds light on the pragmatic approach taken by himself and Obi during their political endeavours, prioritizing practicality over strict adherence to party ideologies.