Analysts have allayed the fears of supporters of the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, over the recent conviction of his campaign Director General, Doyin Okupe.

They insist that Okupe’s case would not affect the Obi-Datti growing popularity because people have no doubts about the integrity of Obi and his running mate, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed.

They also noted that the res­ignation of Okupe soon after his conviction was timely and did not create the chance for the opposition to make political cap­ital out of it.

It would be recalled that sever­al Nigerians were shocked when a few days ago, Okupe, Director General of Obi-Datti Campaign Organisation, was convicted and jailed for two years over money laundering offences, with an op­tion of fine.

However, Okupe who chose to pay the fine, also relinquished his position as the Director General of the campaign organisation.

Peter Obi, it would be recalled, had been leading in sev­eral opinion polls conducted by many reputable groups.

Prof Godwin Jireh, a public affairs analyst, in his reaction, said that Okupe’s conviction on Monday, December 19, over money laundering allegation came both as a thunderbolt and a timed-bomb.

Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of a Federal High Court in Abu­ja convicted Okupe, a former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, for receiving more than N200 million in cash from the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki, in contravention of the Money Laundering Act.

But, many legal minds had been reviewing the judgment, raising some objections to its substance and timing.

Prof. Jireh, a Theologian, maintained that the conviction of Okupe might provide a plank for political opponents to attack the presidential candidate of La­bour Party (LP), who had been flying high on the wings of moral and financial integrity.

He stressed: “True to form, Okupe has towed the line of honour by stepping aside from his role as the D-G of the campaign organisation, thus taking the sail away from political opponents who would have feasted on his case.”

Prof Jireh added: “Overall, there is no likelihood that Okupe’s ordeal might affect the chances of the Labour Party at the presiden­tial poll, though some people see it as a coordinated effort to discredit the party’s presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi.”

Dr. Rex Kennedy Saltlove, another public affairs commen­tator and social activist, in his reaction, stated that Okupe’s con­viction by a court of competent jurisdiction over money laun­dering was a highly welcome development.

He said: “It shows when judgment/justice is rightly met­ed out, and there are no sacred cows, the society becomes better.

“Time will not fail to address the party or parties involved in the money laundering, because it takes two to tangle.

“Doyin Okupe’s resignation was the most courageous and reasonable thing to do, in view of the character of the presidential candidate for which he was a Di­rector General of the Campaign Council.

“The tag, ‘Corrupt Politicians’ that is associated with most of our past and present politicians, calls to question their character.

“That character issue is the strongest and most vital selling point of Peter Obi’s candidacy. And that developed character on his part is possible because he has compassion for his peo­ple, with commitment to lead­ership, combined with capacity and competence in governance.

“Since character is Peter Obi’s strongest selling point, which is not common with our regular politicians, it becomes necessary that his ex-DG who had been tainted with corruption, dis­tances himself from everything related to the Obi’s campaign so as not to raise issues.

Hon Charles Anike, the Na­tional President of Eastern Union (EU), a political pressure group for the people of the Old Eastern Region, in his reaction, said that Okupe’s conviction and subsequent resignation as the D-G of Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Organisation, was very unfortunate and one of the intolerable and crude ways of Nigeria politics and expression of growing frustration by the expired politicians in the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Anike stressed: “The truth of the matter is not hidden to the en­lightened public. For most of us, Okupe’s conviction was nothing more than needless persecution and sabotage.

“But be sure that there’s abso­lutely nothing anybody can do to stop or frustrate a vision whose time has come for fulfilment.

“My advice to Mr. Peter Obi, OBIdient followers and the Labour Party is that they should never to be distracted but remain focused and with our eyes on the ball.

“Definitely, the heat of their activities is becoming more choking and frustrating to the APC and PDP. Obi and the Labour Party must devote more time on grassroots penetrations and mobilisation.

“Our group and many other support groups should be used for more grassroots mobilisation, as we are not relenting in our collective resolve to take back our country from the criminally minded and heartless looters in the APC and PDP.”

Comrade Aluh Moses Odeh, National Leader, All Middle Belt Youth Forum (AMBYF), in his reaction, described Doyin Okupe as “a doyen of the New Nigeria of our dream which we are bringing on board with Peter Obi’s Presidency.”

According to Odeh, a Middle Belt youth activist, “Okupe took the right decision as a man of honour by abdicating his posi­tion as the D -G of Obi-Datti 2023 willingly. His action is worthy of commendation.

“The question I want to ask is: What happened to the man who gave Okupe that N200,000,000 cash and the bank where that money was withdrawn from?

“Did the bank report this transaction to the Nigerian Fi­nancial Intelligence Unit (NFIU)? Nigeria law is strong on the weak and weak on the strong.

“Doyin Okupe’s conviction has no impact on the Obi-Datti Campaign as it is crystal clear that the motive behind this judgment was to frustrate the towering political influence of Obi-Datti, which came late.

“Look at the large crowd that received Obi in Cross River State a day after judgment. It is the Labour Party that is on the ballot and Peter Obi is the direct beneficiary, not Okupe.” (Sunday Independent)