Former Presidential aide, a well-known Nigerian physician and politician, Dr. Doyin Okupe has reportedly died at the age of 72.
He was slated to celebrate his 73rd birthday on March 22.
According to Sahara Reporters, his death was confirmed by sources close to his family.
Okupe, who served as a presidential aide in the past, had been battling health issues in recent weeks.
Reports indicate that he had been seriously ill, raising concerns among his loved ones and supporters.
His death has been linked to cancer, a condition he had been fighting for years.
In 2023, he was hospitalized due to prostate cancer and was flown to Israel for medical care.
Despite efforts to manage his condition, his health did not improve as expected. Okupe was first diagnosed with prostate cancer 16 years ago and later developed sarcoma in his right shoulder. He is survived by his wife and children.
Dr. Doyin Okupe was born on March 10, 1952, in Ogun State, Nigeria.
He pursued medical studies and became a trained physician.
His career, however, transitioned from medicine to politics, where he became a notable figure. Okupe’s political journey commenced in the early 1990s when he served as the spokesperson for the National Republican Convention (NRC) during Nigeria’s Third Republic.
THROWBACK: These Senators, Reps Challenged Their Suspension. They Won in Court
He later held the position of Senior Special Assistant on Media to former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
In 2013, he was appointed as the Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs to President Goodluck Jonathan, a role he maintained until 2015.
In the lead-up to the 2023 presidential elections, Okupe joined the Labour Party (LP) and was appointed as the Director-General of the Presidential Campaign Council for Peter Obi, the party’s presidential candidate.
In December 2022, Okupe resigned from his position as the Director-General of the Labour Party’s Presidential Campaign Council
In his resignation letter addressed to Peter Obi, Okupe stated that his lifelong alignment with right-wing and liberal democratic principles conflicted with the Labour Party’s left-of-centre ideology.
He expressed that continuing in the party would be challenging due to this ideological difference.
