A former Presidential Adviser on Media and Public Communication, Dr Doyin Okupe declared on Friday that he was one of the persons in their 60s that the former military president Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida tapped for the presidency of Nigeria in 2023.
Okupe spoke when he appeared on Arise TV morning show, anchored by Reuben Abati.
He said that although he had not spoken to Babaginda in a long time, he cut the picture of Nigeria’s president in 2022 as painted by the former military head of state.
Babangida turns 80 on August 17, 2021.
In an interview he granted to Arise TV, he had said: “I have started visualising a good Nigerian leader, a person who travels in this country and as a friend virtually everywhere he travels.
“He know at least one person that he can communicate with. A person who is very vast in economic and a good politician who should be able to talk to Nigerians.
“I have seen one or two or three already in their 60s.”
Okupe said that his profile sat pretty in the context of the criteria set out by Babangida.
Babangida had outlined a set of qualities the next president of Nigeria should have, a development which excited quite a number of presidential hopefuls including Senator Orji Kalu who first appropriate Babangida’s validation, followed by Okupe.
But read Okupe: “I believe when IBB was making that speech, he was talking about me. I haven’t spoken with him in a long time, I agree with all his points.
“I am part of the three individuals IBB was talking about. I am the most prepared person for the job.”
According to Okupe who is 69 years old this year: “There is no where in the country I don’t have contact.”
He said in his political and electioneering odyssey in Nigeria, he had visited every local government in the country at least five times.
He claimed to understand the nation’s political terrain more than any other person jostling for the nation’s topmost job in 2023.
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