* It won’t demoralize me, Peter Obi declares
The Director-General of Labour Party (LP) Presidential Campaign Council, Dr. Doyin Okupe, on Monday evening, paid the sum of N13 million as court fine after his conviction for breaching the money laundering Act.
Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu had earlier on Monday sentenced the former aide of ex-presidential Olusegun Obasanjo to a 52-year jail term after he was convicted for money laundering and diversion of funds.
Okupe was arraigned on a 59-count charge of money laundering by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for accepting N204 million from the former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd), in 2014.
Justice Ojukwu found the defendant guilty in 26 out of the 59 charges.
She ordered that the 26 charges which attract a two-year jail term each, would run concurrently.
The judge, however, gave the convict an option of N500, 000 fine in each of the counts, totaling N13 million to be paid before 4:30 pm on Monday.
She ordered that Okupe be taken to Kuje correctional centre in Abuja to serve his jail term if he fails to pay the fine within the time frame.
However, a check by journalists at the court at about 6:00 pm showed that Okupe had paid the money.
Meanwhile, the Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, has said he is not bothered by Okupe’s conviction, adding that it would not affect his 2023 election campaign.
He said: “I am hearing about it (the conviction) just like you. I am still studying what is coming out of the court and everything. I believe in the rule of law. It is not going to demoralise me.
“Today (Monday), when I arrived in Akwa Ibom, somebody asked me why I haven’t been using my aircraft because it has been grounded and all that, and I said to him that nothing demoralises me.
“In my life, I have never stayed where they dropped me, otherwise, I would have been where they dropped me before. This election, if they like let them do anything about people who are around me, I will get there.”