Former Presidential Spokesperson Calls Out Labour Party’s Peter Obi Over ‘E mi Lokan’ Comments
In a recent podcast, Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi sparked controversy when he criticized the Yoruba region over their alleged demand for the presidency through Bola Tinubu. Obi mocked the Yoruba people for the country’s hardships since Tinubu took office in May 2023. This remark has elicited a wide range of reactions and comments.
However, Doyin Okupe, a former presidential spokesperson, who previously served as the director-general of Obi’s presidential campaign, has disagreed with the latter’s perspective. Okupe, taking to his social media account, stated that Obi missed the mark with his statement.
According to Okupe, the “E mi Lokan” phrase used by Tinubu prior to the 2023 elections was not a demand for the presidency but rather an appeal to Yoruba delegates to choose the APC’s candidate. Tinubu, as a presidential aspirant, was asking for the votes of Ogun state delegates who were predominantly Yoruba, and he emphasized his own connection to the party and its formation.
In a tweet, Okupe wrote, “OBi GOT IT WRONG ON ‘EMI LO KAN'”. He continued, “Tinubu, as a presidential aspirant, was appealing for the votes of the Ogun state delegates, in Yoruba, to the APC convention. He had helped to form the party and made Buhari President, and he declares, ‘I (not Yoruba) is the next in line'”.
