Okupe blasts Obi, defends Tinubu, Shettima over foreign trip

Former presidential spokesman, Dr Doyin Okupe, has described the impression that no one is in charge of the country with President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima’s foreign trips as misleading.

Okupe, a former Director General of Peter Obi Presidential Campaign Organisation, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Friday in Lagos.

“Presidents and chief executives, globally, do take time off to rest for a little while.

“Even in war situations, field commanders go off duty to cool off from war theatres.

“The impression being given that there is no one in charge is false and preposterous. The President is head of government not government by himself,” he said.

According to him, in the physical absence of the President, in these days of high tech, all arms of government- judiciary, legislative and even the executive, function 100 per cent.

Okupe added, “Whether the President is in Abuja, Kaura Namoda, Pankshin, Oguta, Ilesha, Yenagoa, London or Paris, all instruments of command and control are accessible and available to him 24/7.”

He said that the opposition’s plot to feast on the issue “exposes their crass ignorance or presence of not appreciating the overriding influence of modern information management on contemporary governance.”

Okupe added that the coincidental and necessary temporary and brief trip of the Vice-President to Sweden, should not be a cause for concern.

Okupe said in the earlier republics, fear of military coups was the major basis for concern over the absence of both the President and his vice from the country at the same time.

He said that the nation had since moved into a civilised and stable democracy.

“In these last two weeks, the wheel of the administration has been in top gear. Promotions and new appointments are being made.

“Policies are being implemented to the letter. Obviously there is no evidence of dereliction of duty or official irresponsibility.

“The truth is that elections are over and political gladiators should go back to the drawing board to restrategize for 2027,” Okupe said.

Recall that Tinubu departed for the United Kingdom on Oct. 2, for a two-week working leave.

Also, Shettima left Abuja on Wednesday for Sweden on a two-day visit to represent Nigeria in bilateral engagements with the Scandinavian nation.

Following criticisms in some quarters about the absence of the first two citizens, the Presidency on Wednesday said Tinubu and Shettima’s absence did not create any leadership vacuum