Updated: Ex-presidential aide Doyin Okupe dies 15 days to birthday

Dr. Doyin Okupe, a renowned Nigerian physician, politician, and former presidential aide, has passed away at the age of 72, just 15 days shy of his birthday on March 22.

According to family sources, Okupe died on Friday, March 7, 2025, after being critically ill for several weeks.

Okupe’s health had significantly deteriorated, causing concern among his loved ones and supporters.

He had been battling cancer for 16 years, initially diagnosed with prostate cancer and later developing sarcoma in his right shoulder.

In October 2023, Okupe was hospitalized with prostate cancer and received treatment in Israel.

A key figure in Nigerian politics, Okupe served as a senior adviser to former President Goodluck Jonathan and later as the Director-General of Peter Obi’s 2023 Presidential Campaign.

His contributions to politics, medicine, and public service will be deeply missed.

Background

Doyin Okupe was born on 22 March 1952 in Iperu in Ogun State of Nigeria.

He was the son of Chief Matthew Adekoya Okupe, who was a banker with Agbonmagbe Bank. His brothers were Kunle Okupe, Owo Okupe, Wemi Okupe and Larry Okupe, and his sisters are Aina Okanlawon and Bisola Ayeni.

Okupe attended St. Jude’s School in Ebute Metta, Lagos, Igbobi College in Yaba, Lagos and the University of Ibadan in Ibadan, Oyo State.

Medical career
Okupe worked for some years for government and private hospitals, including St. Nicholas Hospital, Lagos, before establishing the Royal Cross Medical Centre (also known as Royal Cross Hospital) in Obalende, Lagos, along with his colleagues, Dr. Seyi Roberts and Dr. Ladi Okuboyejo.

He was the Managing Director (MD) of Royal Cross Medical Centre.

According to Olusegun Osoba in a July 2019 interview with The Nation (Nigeria), on the night of 23 August 1994, Okupe and Dr. Seyi Roberts saved the life of his gatekeeper from a gunshot wound to the head.

Political career

During the Second Nigerian Republic, Okupe was a House of Representatives candidate of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) in the 1983 Nigerian parliamentary election.

In the Third Nigerian Republic, Okupe became the National Publicity Secretary of National Republican Convention (NRC).

He was one of the representatives of the NRC that observed the collation of the 1993 Nigerian presidential election results at the headquarters of the National Electoral Commission (NEC).

The General Sani Abacha military government detained Okupe on 3 October 1996. Later on, in March 1998, during the aborted transition programme of Abacha, he was among the politicians who were disqualified from participating in United Nigeria Congress Party (UNCP) primaries.

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

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

Okupe was publicist at various times to Nigerian presidential aspirants of the PDP, including President Olusegun Obasanjo, President Goodluck Jonathan, Bukola Saraki and Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

In July 2017, he announced his decision to leave the PDP to join the Accord Party, but for accepting to be the Chairman of the Campaign Media Council of Bukola Saraki for the 2019 presidential primaries of the PDP, the Accord Party expelled him in September 2018.

He subsequently returned to the PDP, and became a spokesman of the Presidential Campaign Organisation of Atiku Abubakar, the PDP candidate for president in the 2019 Nigerian presidential election.

Okupe joined the Labour Party ahead of 2023 Nigerian general election and stood in as the running mate and vice presidential candidate of the Labour Party until a substantive candidate was picked.

Personal life

Okupe is married to Aduralere Okupe with two children.