He made this known in a letter on Tuesday following the ruling by a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja that convicted him of violating the money laundering Act.
The letter was addressed to the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi.
In the letter, Okupe said, “Dear Peter, you will recall that I briefed you yesterday about my personal travails in seeking justice and clearing my name using the Nigerian legal system to pursue same.
“I have invested too much in your campaign to allow my personal travails to become a source of distraction.
In the circumstances, I have decided to step aside and plead that you appoint a new campaign DG who can continue the assignment with zero distractions. God bless you and your family.”
Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu presiding on Monday found Okupe guilty of contravening sections 16(1)&(2) of the Money Laundering Act and accepting cash in excess of the threshold allowed under the Act without going through a financial institution.
Okupe was found guilty of receiving over N200 million cash from a former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.).
He was therefore sentenced to two years by Justice Ojuwku with an option of N500,000 fine on each of the 26 counts for which he was found guilty.
Delivering her judgment, the judge held that Okupe, who is the first defendant in the suit filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, violated the Money Laundering Act, and had up to 4:30 pm on Monday to pay the fine option, totalling the sum of N13 million on all the charges he was found guilty of or be sent the Kuje Correctional Centre.
Justice Ojukwu, in sentencing Okupe, considered the pleadings for leniency from the wife of the convict, Omolola Okupe, and that of his son, Adesunkanmi Okupe, and the allocutus by his counsel.
