Former presidential aide dumps PDP but no one really cares

On Sunday, July 3, 2017, Doyin Okupe took to his Facebook page to make what he must have considered an earth shattering announcement:

“It is time to say goodbye to PDP", Okupe wrote.

He continued: "It is with deep regret that I publicly announce my resignation from the It has to be public because the PDP no longer exists in my ward as a single unified party; it was when I joined it.

“My resignation is based on periods of long introspection and some of the following reasons: It is no longer news that the PDP has been embroiled in a fratricidal internal crisis brought upon it by itself.

“Its current direction is difficult to discern and I'm convinced that even when the much expected judgement from the Supreme Court is given, the future of the party is not likely to be significantly affected whichever way the judgement goes….”

ALSO READ: Okupe dumps PDP

Okupe’s announcement could well have been made in an empty market square. All the major newspapers in the land handed Okupe’s announcement the cold shoulder--at least on their front-pages.

It is a testament to how insignificant Okupe has become in the nation’s political firmament.

He’s become a speck. In truth, he was never a politician to pull a crowd; never one to be reckoned with.

Okupe served as Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs to former President Goodluck Jonathan. Soon after Jonathan was sent packing from Aso Rock, Okupe was all on fours before Chief Olusegun Obasanjo in profuse apologies.

After engaging Obasanjo in all sorts of verbal battles as one of Jonathan’s spokespersons, Okupe showed up in the Abeokuta home of the former president to say he was very sorry. And he had to roll on the floor to show contrition.

Okupe also served as Obasanjo’s aide and was chased out of the Villa for gross misconduct.

Jonathan brought him back into national reckoning as an “attack dog” and Okupe was no more than one. He was the attack dog who said the darndest things and engaged in the silliest of battles with a mouth that often went before him.

Okupe remained a political lightweight even in his own State of Ogun until he announced his exit from the PDP yesterday.

In no way will the PDP miss him whether at local or national level. Okupe added little or nothing to the collapsing edifice that has become the PDP.

Like any politician without a base to his name; like every politician without an ideology or shred of principle affixed to his politics, Okupe was always going to bow out into ignominy any way, once the PDP and his benefactor were kicked out of the corridors of power.

“I have therefore decided to withdraw a bit and study the political situation more critically and thereafter take a decision soonest on my next political move”, Okupe said, leaving a small window for himself should the political atmosphere become favourable enough so he can ‘return to eat’. .

“I will miss my friends, associates and co-travelers on this tortuous political journey and adventure”, Okupe added.

No one will miss him, though, and it is difficult to recall at what point Okupe’s political journey was “tortuous” or “adventurous”.

He’s always been a political jobber and opportunist and will forever be remembered as one.