Dr. Doyin Okupe is a Nigerian physician and politician.
He co-founded the Royal Cross Medical Centre and served as the National Publicity Secretary of the National Republican Convention (NRC). Okupe has faced challenges, including detention under General Sani Abacha’s regime and disqualification from participating in United Nigeria Congress Party (UNCP) primaries. Despite setbacks, he pursued political aspirations, including a bid for the governorship under the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State.
Early life and Education 
Okupe, born on March 22, 1952, in Iperu, Ogun State, Nigeria, is the son of Chief Matthew Adekoya Okupe, a banker at Agbonmagbe Bank. He has siblings: Kunle, Owo, Wemi, and Larry Okupe, as well as sisters 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.
Career
Despite being a medical doctor, Okupe is actively involved in party politics. Additionally, he was once the publisher of a health newspaper named Life Mirror.
In his medical career, Okupe gained experience working in both government and private hospitals, including St. Nicholas Hospital in Lagos. Eventually, he co-established the Royal Cross Medical Centre (also known as Royal Cross Hospital) in Obalende, Lagos, with his colleagues, Dr. Seyi Roberts and Dr. Ladi Okuboyejo. Okupe served as the Managing Director (MD) of the Royal Cross Medical Centre.
According to Olusegun Osoba, in a July 2019 interview with The Nation (Nigeria), on the night of August 23, 1994, Okupe and Dr. Seyi Roberts played a crucial role in saving the life of Osoba’s gatekeeper, who had suffered a gunshot wound to the head.
In the political arena, Okupe has had a diverse career spanning different Nigerian republics. During the Second Nigerian Republic, he contested as a House of Representatives candidate for the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) in the 1983 parliamentary election.
Transitioning to the Third Nigerian Republic, Okupe held the position of National Publicity Secretary of the National Republican Convention (NRC). He also played a role in observing the collation of results during the 1993 presidential election.
However, his political journey faced hurdles during the era of General Sani Abacha’s military regime. Okupe was detained in October 1996 and later disqualified from participating in United Nigeria Congress Party (UNCP) primaries in March 1998.
Entering the Fourth Nigerian Republic, Okupe was appointed Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to President Olusegun Obasanjo. He later contested in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) primaries for governorship in Ogun State in 2002.
Okupe continued to serve in various capacities, including as Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs to President Goodluck Jonathan. He also served as a publicist for notable PDP presidential aspirants such as Obasanjo, Jonathan, Bukola Saraki, and Atiku Abubakar.
Despite a brief stint with the Accord Party, Okupe returned to the PDP. He served as a spokesman for the Presidential Campaign Organisation of Atiku Abubakar during the 2019 Nigerian presidential election.
Ahead of the 2023 Nigerian general election, Okupe joined the Labour Party and stood as the vice presidential candidate until a substantive candidate was selected.
Personal life
Okupe is married to Aduralere Okupe and has two children.
Controversies
In August 2012, Okupe and his companies came under scrutiny by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for allegedly failing to fulfill road construction contracts awarded to his companies in 2004 by Benue State and in 2005 by Imo State. Eventually, a settlement was reached with Imo State, while the case with Benue State was resolved through arbitration.
Then, in July 2016, allegations surfaced linking Okupe to ₦702 million of the embezzled funds from the $2 billion arms deal, also known as Dasukigate, during Colonel Sambo Dasuki’s tenure as the National Security Adviser. The EFCC traced this sum to Okupe.
Subsequently, on January 14, 2019, the EFCC arraigned Okupe before a Federal High Court in Abuja on a 59-count charge related to alleged money laundering and diversion of funds amounting to ₦702 million.
Net Worth
Undisclosed