Patrick Eholor, chieftain of the Labour Party (LP), has said the conviction of the Director General of the party’s Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), Doyin Okupe, would not affect the campaign in any way.
Eholor in a chat with Vanguard on Monday, said the party will move on with the campaigns without Okupe’s involvement, adding that the party will resist any attempt to scuttle its plan to recover Nigeria.
The LP chieftain said Nigerians know that the case against Okupe has been going on before he was chosen to lead the party’s campaign.
He said: “I am not sure it is going to affect the campaign of the Labour Party. Doyin Okupe is just one of the individuals in this campaign train.
“Why will people not learn to allow those without baggage take the front seat in Nigeria, if he knew this was hanging over his neck, why didn’t he operate behind and let someone else lead the campaign?
“I am sure that he has a right to appeal the case as every other Nigerian has the right to an appeal. If the appeal does not favour him, he also has the right to go to the highest court which is Supreme Court.
“Many Nigerians are aware that this case has been going on before the Obidient movement.”
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Elohor however, urged Okupe to resign his position as Director General of the Presidential Campaign Council of the party in order not to taint the party’s campaign.
He said: “I am sure with his position he may resign honourably and let other people take charge as the DG of the Campaign team, we have very good men and women highly respectable who can fit into that shoe ‘if’ need be. We are not there yet.
“Let me remind you of a retired General who was allegedly accused of being part of the presidential campaign team. He was accused of being one of the masterminders who came to Lekki’s protest for one of the #ENDSARS.
“We all protested that it was against the will of the Obedient People, he admitted that he was obeying the last command of the military.
“He apologized to the presidential campaign team, he apologized to the entire family, and resigned from his position.
“That could have been the biggest scandal, that could have been the biggest act that could have caused a lot of confusion in the Obidient family.”
Elohor also expressed optimism that the court judgment was not deliberately given to truncate his party’s momentum and goodwill it currently enjoys from its supporters.
He added: “In conclusion, I believe this is not a deliberate attack from the judiciary to truncate the campaigns and also slow down the people’s goodwill.
“I think it is a thing that we must all learn from that if we have any litigation or court issues that we should try and not get involved in any sensitive position be it political or private sector or as an official because that might dent the reputation of that organisation.
“I also want to think that Doyin Okupe did not do this deliberately, he might have been sure that he’d be acquainted from all charges, unfortunately, the judge saw it differently. I hope and pray that the court of appeal favours him. “Obi Movement is a moving train and nothing can stop the moving train.”
