By Sola Ojewusi
With the interment today of Doyin Ajibike Agbonmagbe Okupe in his home town of Iperu Remo, Nigeria has lost one of its most articulate minds, a man whose voice thundered across the nation’s political landscape for decades.
Dr. Doyin Ajibike Okupe was more than a politician; he was a force of nature. He was a physician who healed beyond hospitals, a strategist who understood power beyond politics, a public intellectual who dissected national issues with surgical precision.
He was, above all, a man of conviction. His words carried weight, his opinions were never idle musings, and his presence was impossible to ignore. Whether in the halls of power or on the airwaves as a fiery commentator, he spoke with clarity, confidence, and uncommon courage.
Through the years, he stood at the crossroads of history, shaping narratives, defending policies, and standing firm in the face of adversity. As a spokesman and adviser to two Nigerian presidents—Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan—he did not merely serve power; he defined it.
His journey, from the white coat of a physician to the stormy seas of Nigerian politics, was not accidental. It was the path of a man who understood that true healing required more than medicine—it required leadership, it required vision, it required the ability to speak truth to a nation often lost in the fog of confusion.
THE HEALER WHO CHOSE POLITICS AS HIS OPERATING THEATRE
Before he became the formidable political figure that Nigerians came to know, Doyin Okupe was first and foremost a doctor. Trained in the delicate art of healing, he understood the intricacies of the human body, the delicate balance of life and death. He was a physician not only by profession but by nature—a man wired to diagnose problems and find solutions.
But he was also a man who saw the bigger picture. He understood that beyond the hospital walls lay a nation in need of healing, not of body, but of soul. And so, he took a bold step into the world of politics, believing that governance, if done right, was the grandest stage of medicine. His patients were no longer individuals on a hospital bed; they were the millions of Nigerians yearning for direction, leadership, and hope.
THE MASTER OF WORDS, THE ARCHITECT OF NARRATIVES
When Dr. Okupe entered the world of politics, he did not come as an idle spectator. He understood the power of words, the influence of narratives, and the importance of clarity in governance. In an age when political communication was often muddled with ambiguity, he emerged as a spokesman with a difference—articulate, persuasive, and unafraid.
Under President Obasanjo, he was a voice of reason amid the cacophony of political debates. Under President Jonathan, he became a steady hand in times of uncertainty. His role was never just to defend power but to interpret it for the people, to bridge the gap between government and the governed. He wielded words like a warrior wields a sword—precisely, powerfully, and with unshakable confidence.
He was not one to mince words or hide behind politically correct platitudes. Whether in defending policies, countering critics, or engaging in public discourse, he was always surefooted, his arguments backed by facts, his delivery sharp as a blade. His ability to think on his feet, to break down complex issues with remarkable clarity, set him apart as one of Nigeria’s most formidable public affairs analysts.
A MAN OF PRINCIPLE IN AN ERA OF POLITICAL OPPORTUNISM
One of the greatest tests of character is the ability to stand firm in the face of political turbulence. Dr. Okupe was not a man who drifted with the tides of convenience. He was never afraid to take a stand, even when it was unpopular.
When he chose to support Peter Obi’s presidential bid, it was not a decision made lightly. It was a statement of belief, a recognition of a new possibility for Nigeria. He threw his weight behind the movement, not as a man seeking personal gain, but as a patriot who saw hope in an alternative path.
Yet, when he noticed inconsistencies, when principles clashed with political realities, he did not cling stubbornly for the sake of expediency. He was bold enough to take a bow. It was a rare act in a political landscape where many would rather bend than break, where loyalty is often tied to personal gain rather than principle.
He was a man who understood that political alignment must always be guided by conscience, that power must always be exercised with a sense of responsibility, and that public service must never be reduced to a game of blind allegiance.
A CONSERVATIVE BY BLOOD, A LIBERAL BY HEART
Dr. Okupe was a royal, and he carried himself with the dignity of nobility. He never shied away from his conservative leanings, never wavered in his belief in tradition and structure. Yet, beneath this exterior lay the heart of a man deeply committed to humanity.
He was not a politician who saw people merely as numbers or voting blocs; he saw them as individuals with struggles, aspirations, and dreams. He believed in governance that prioritizes the welfare of the people, in leadership that is not just about authority but about service.
He had the discipline of a conservative but the kindness of a liberal. He understood the weight of power, but he also knew that power, if not wielded with compassion, is meaningless.
THE FINAL BATTLE—A TROJAN’S LAST STAND
For a man who fought so many political battles, it was fate that his toughest opponent would not be a fellow politician but an unrelenting enemy called cancer. It came for him with the same ferocity with which he had faced the storms of life.
But Doyin Okupe was never one to retreat. He met his final battle with the same defiance, the same resilience, the same unyielding spirit that defined his entire life. He did not complain, did not cower, did not seek pity. He fought, as he always had, with dignity.
In the end, it was not cancer that won. It was courage. For what is victory, if not the ability to leave behind a legacy? And what is defeat, if not a life lived without impact? Doyin Okupe may have taken his last breath, but he has not left. His words remain. His ideas endure. His legacy is secure.
HISTORY WILL REMEMBER
What shall we say now that he is gone? That he lived? That he served? That he fought? That he loved his nation enough to speak truth even when it was uncomfortable? Yes, we shall say all these things. And more.
We shall say that Nigeria has lost a brilliant mind, a fearless orator, a master strategist. We shall say that he was a man who stood for something, who believed in something, who never wavered in his convictions.
We shall say that his voice, though silenced by mortality, will continue to echo in the corridors of history.
Rest well, Dr. Doyin Okupe. Yours was a life well-lived, a battle well-fought, a legacy well-earned.
