The Patriots, a group of elder statesmen and eminent Nigerians led by foremost diplomat, Emeka Anyaoku, has described the death of a former presidential spokesman, Dr Doyin Okupe, as a sad end of an eventful political life.

The group’s Secretary-General, Olawale Okunniyi, stated this on Saturday in Lagos.

He said, “This is a sad end of a very eventful political life for Dr Doyin Okupe, who  played so many roles in Nigeria’s political space, from NPN (National Party of Nigeria) to the NRC (National Republican Convention) ,where he was the spokesperson. He was a conservative politician, not a progressive. He (Okupe) will be remembered for his doggedness in defending what he believed in even when people saw things differently.’’

The prominent Nigerian politician passed away on Friday at the age of 72 in a yet to be disclosed Lagos hospital.

The late Okupe served a Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to President Olusegun Obasanjo and later served as Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs to President Goodluck Jonathan.

He later served as the Director-General of Peter Obi’s 2023 Presidential Campaign, before he stepped down.

Mr Okupe became a vocal supporter of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, after the winner of the 2023 presidential election was announced, frequently engaging in political debates and commentaries.

Mr Okupe was the National Publicity Secretary of the National Republican Convention (NRC) in the Third Nigerian Republic. 

(NAN)