Former presidential aide Doyin Okupe had hinted about his death during what was his final media interview.
He spoke with The Whistler Newspaper just months before his death on Friday, March 7. Okupe, 72, passed away in Lagos during surgery.
In his last interview, which later went viral, Okupe was credited to have paused briefly and said:
“I’m even tired of discussing Nigeria’s issues. I’m coming to an end. I have had my time; I have paid my dues.”
When the interviewer, identified as Mark, asked why he felt that way, Okupe responded, saying:
“Mark, you won’t understand. I have stayed away from the spotlight based on personal recollection and reflection. But I have served Nigeria very well to the best of my capacity. Yes, I have served this country. I have paid my dues and I think it’s time up”
Okupe had been battling serious health issues for years. Diagnosed with prostate cancer 16 years ago, he later developed sarcoma in his right shoulder. In 2024, he publicly spoke about his weight loss due to chemotherapy.
“It’s part in part, the first problem was cancer I had and the chemotherapy makes you lose appetite, you have nausea, and even as you sustain for several months, you lose weight,” he told Channels TV.
At one point, he said he weighed 127kg but dropped to 97kg during treatment before partially recovering to 103kg.
Despite his health struggles, Okupe remained active in political discussions. In the interview with The Whistler, he emphasized that he had no regrets about his service to Nigeria. He said the country is a difficult place to function.
“The point is we inherited a system that we haven’t worked so hard to change. Both external and internal challenges are pulling it down heavily,” he added.
In the interview, Okupe shared his thoughts on President Bola Tinubu’s administration. He passionately defended Tinubu and expressed optimism about his leadership. He noted that he might not survive to enjoy the dividends of the reforms, which he said maybe in two years’ time.
“The president would do well and leave a legacy but would someone like me witness that? Although it would take two years for the reform to bear fruits, I may not be here to witness it but Mark, you, by God’s grace, would witness it.
“And when you do, talk about it and tell people I said it. Remind them of this interview.”
The interview, the newspaper noted, almost didn’t happen due to an accident he had on his way to the venue.
Family sources confirmed that Okupe had been in Abuja but returned to Lagos less than a week before his passing for a surgical procedure at a hospital on Lagos Island. The politician did not survive the operation.
