Former presidential spokesperson, Doyin Okupe, clarified on Monday that he has never dismissed the possibility of President Bola Tinubu winning the 2027 elections.
Okupe made this statement in Lagos, responding to online media reports that misinterpreted his comments about the 2027 presidential race.
Okupe, who previously served as Director-General of Peter Obi’s Presidential Campaign Council, emphasised his continued support for President Tinubu’s administration.
He expressed confidence in Tinubu’s vision and commitment to tackling Nigeria’s current challenges, which he noted are inherited issues from past administrations.
“It has come to our attention that some online blogs, including the Daily Post, published a story attributing a baseless and misleading statement to Dr Doyin Okupe, the former Presidential Spokesman, regarding the 2027 presidential election,” the statement said.
“The article falsely claims that Dr Okupe said the 2027 election would be ‘Game Over’ for President Bola Tinubu if the North were to field former President Goodluck Jonathan as a candidate.
“We wish to clarify that this story is a complete distortion of Dr Okupe’s words and a deliberate misrepresentation of his views.
“What Dr Okupe actually expressed in a tweet only had to do with those he described as pseudo politicians who lack deep thinking, and assume that a joint ticket between former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Mr Peter Obi or the North fielding Jonathan as a presidential candidate, would defeat President Tinubu, as those thinking in that direction will be disappointed.
“This statement was made in the context of political strategy.”
He described the online misrepresentation as a “clear example of media manipulation, designed to misinform the public and sow discord”.
Okupe called on the general public to be cautious of such misleading narratives and to verify information before forming opinions.
