It is really not a blow to the Party per se, but to the Director General of the Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) of the Labour Party (LP), or better put Peter Obi’s campaign manager, in the person of Mr. Doyin Okupe.
Today, the 19th day of December, 2022, as Nigerians prepare for the Christmas, and the not so far General elections, the Federal High Court sitting at the Federal capital Territory per Honourable Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu convicted Doyin Okupe of money laundering offences.
Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu held that the DG of the Labour Party was found guilty contravening sections 16 (1) & (2) of the Money Laundering Act 2011. By virtue of Act (section 1 to be specific) individuals are prohibited from making or accepting cash payment above the sum of N5,000,000.00 (Five Million Naira) or its equivalent without involving a financial institution (banks). While a corporate body is precluded from accepting or making cash payments above the sum of N10,000,000.00 (Ten Million Naira) or its equivalent. Section 16 (1) & (2) of this Act provides the penalty for this offence. The individual upon conviction is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term not less than two years or a fine of not less than N10,000,000.00 (Ten Million Naira only).
After Honourable Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu allowed Mr. Doyin Okupe to exercise his constitutional right of calling certain individuals to testify as to his character (this is called allocutus in law) it sentenced him to two and a half years imprisonment or a fine of N13,000,000.00 (Thirteen Million Naira).
More details will follow shortly.
However, before that, let me know what you think this is all about. Political witch hunt or Justice taking its course after a long while.
The question I suppose everyone should be asking is, how this conviction affects him personally and officially?
Personally, should he refuse to pay the fine, he would be risking the imprisonment, but whether he pays the fine or not, he is currently a convict, unless the Court of Appeal decides otherwise. Officially, this does not affect his position in his politically party, as he is not currently running for any political office in the upcoming election. However, this might not look too good for the party, and worse off, if the party’s constitution does not allow convicts to hold offices in the party. I am however in no position to advise the Labour party.
While I believe in justice taking it’s course, there might be some political engineering at the background just to get at or slow down the growing acceptability of Labour Party since they can’t find anything to throw at Peter Obi’s personality, character and integrity. So getting at Dr. Doyin Okupe who is one of PO’s main man and also as an old politician who understands the game, in their thinking doing this may affect Labour Party or PO. For me whichever way this is coming from, as a Obidient member am not bordered.
Hello Osanebi,
Thank you for your comment and opinion.
The law you and I know that this is politically motivated, almost eight years since he left office why has he not been brought to book. What we would hear is it
takes process. If he is guilty to the charge(s) let him cry him face the penalty
The fact still remain that labour party is a big threat to the two major parties.
Hello David,
Thank you for your time and and your opinion.
Kind of a political witch hunt (looking for something to use against your opponent politically). There would be a lot of Nigerians that are equally guilty of this act but would never be caught/exposed. That’s why before you enter politics, you have to make sure u are almost “clean” so things like this won’t happen to you.