Conviction: Okupe’s offence is that he did not join APC – LP

The Labour Party (LP) on Monday viewed the judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja which found Dr Doyin Okupe, the Director General of Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council, guilty of receiving over N200 million cash from the former National Security Adviser (NSA) to President Goodluck Jonathan, Col. Sambo Dasuki, convicting him to two years imprisonment or option of fine of N500,000.

Speaking to National Daily, the Spokesperson of Peter Obi presidential campaign, Dele Fatorimi, on general view, noted that the man who they said shared the money, Dasuki Sambo, is sitting comfortably in his house but the government went for others who they said received money form the former NSA. He noted that this is selective justice.

Fatorimi said that he was yet to see a copy of the judgment, at the time of speaking to National Daily, but on a general view, he said that “if Doyin Okupe has done anything wrong, it is because he did not join the All Progressives Congress (APC).”

The spokesperson maintained that the judgment is selective justice, adding that the government is looking for beneficiaries, while the main actor who is being tried is sitting at his home.

Fatorimi pointed out that he is not supporting corruption in anyway, but said that justice must be seen to be fair to everyone.

The presiding judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu, delivering judgement on Monday, held that Okupe, the first defendant in the suit filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), violated the Money Laundering Act and found guilty on counts 34 to 59 of the charges.

The court also sentenced Okupe to two years imprisonment on counts 35 to 59 with an option fine of N500,000. The option of fine is to run consecutively on each count while the sentence is to run concurrently. The sentence to run from the day of delivering the judgment.

The judge also gave Okupe till 4.30pm before being taken into custody.