Former Presidential Aide Doyin Okupe Dies at 72

Former media aide to ex-Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, Doyin Okupe, has passed away.

He died in a hospital in Victoria Island, Lagos State, on Friday, March 7. He was 72 years old.

According to family sources, Dr. Okupe had been critically ill in the weeks leading up to his demise. He suffered a recurrence of cancer and sadly lost the battle this morning.

Born on March 22, 1952, in Iperu, Ogun State, Nigeria, the late Doyin Okupe was the son of Chief Matthew Adekoya Okupe, a banker with Agbonmagbe Bank. He attended St. Jude’s School in Ebute Metta, Lagos, Igbobi College in Yaba, Lagos, and the University of Ibadan in Ibadan, Oyo State.

At the advent of the current Fourth Nigerian Republic, Okupe was appointed Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to President Olusegun Obasanjo. Later, in 2002, he was one of the governorship aspirants in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) primaries in Ogun State and was a major contender alongside Gbenga Daniel.

In 2012, President Goodluck Jonathan appointed Okupe as his Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs.