Kenneth Okonkwo, spokesperson for the Labour Party (LP) Presidential Campaign, has confirmed the authenticity of an audio of a phone conversation between his principal, Peter Obi and Bishop David Oyedepo of the Living Faith Church.
In the audio which was released by an online newspaper, Peoples Gazette, Obi solicited the support of Oyedepo to help get votes from Christians in South-West.
The former governor of Anambra State also stated that the votes were needed because the 2023 presidential election was a religious war.
“Daddy, I need you to speak to your people in the South-West and Kwara, the Christians in the South-West and Kwara.This is a religious war. Like I keep saying: if this works, you people will never regret the support,” he said in the audio.
The audio had attracted criticism for Obi, with some of his supporters saying it was doctored.
But in a statement in the wee hours of Sunday, Okonkwo verified the authenticity but claimed it was taken out of context by critics.
He wrote: “Our attention has been drawn to the publication of this audio tape of private conversation between @PeterObi and Bishop Oyedepo. It is not surprising that these political criminals are trying to spin the conversation as if Obi was making a religious statement.
“Firstly, the context of the conversation was aptly put by Bishop Oyedepo when he said “All Nigerians have equal stake in this nation, nobody has the right to claim that he is dashing something to someone”. Peter Obi was simply urging the Bishop to help him push this message of equal stake of all Nigerians in the Nigerian project to his people and the Christiendom because the politicians of the other party is carrying on this campaign as if it is a religious war. To drive home this point, he informed him that he visited the traditional ruler of Offa, the Olofa of Offa, who is a Muslim, but who advised Obi to get the support of Oyedepo and be assured of his own support.
“No Politician has ever visited the Olofa of Offa. It is clear to everybody that the APC political party that has a Presidential Candidate, Vice Presidential Candidate, Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, National Chairman of the Party all from one religion at a time the CJN is a Muslim is the Party that has declared religious war on Nigerians and we must all rise up together to fight this unconstitutional act of religious intolerance of other religions by APC.
“I went around with Obi on campaign train and never saw him discriminate against any religion. Of course he can’t because his Vice is a Muslim unlike APC. I resigned from APC because of their religious intolerance. Nigerians should disregard any insinuation of religious bigots about this tape.”
Earlier, Director General of Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Organisation, Balogun Akin Osuntokun, told Daily Trust on Saturday that he had nothing to say on the matter.
“I have nothing to say on this,” Osuntokun said when contacted over the phone.
Keyamo Blasts Oyedepo, Says Peter Obi’s Presidential Ambition Is Dead
Minister of State for Labour and Spokesperson of Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign, Mr. Festus Keyamo, SAN, has reacted to the leaked audio conversation between the Labour Party (LP) Presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi and the Founder of Living Faith Church, Bishop David Oyedepo.
Keyamo while reacting to the conversation, said God has exposed Obi for declaring a religious war in a multi-religious and multi-ethnic country, declaring his dream to become a President one day is dead.
In a statement, Keyamo said, “Having confirmed the authenticity of what is now known as the Peter Obi ‘Yes-daddy’ audio, I think the real culprit here are the so-called ‘men of God’ who allowed themselves to be used by an unscrupulous politician to seek to inflame religious passions in our dear country in the name of politics.
“So, when they were telling their hapless adherents that they heard the voice of the Lord, it was actually Peter Obi’s telephone calls they heard and not God’s voice. This is deceitful, shameful and disgusting. Imagine a so-called ‘man of God’ comparing notes with a politician as to what he said or what he would say on the pulpit in order to get him votes.
“I hope this sufficiently embarrasses the ‘men of God’ in Nigeria to forthwith desist from using the pulpit for politics and the Church-goers to stop being teleguided by their self-serving ‘men of God’.
“As for Peter Obi who declared an election a ‘religious war’ in a multi-religious and multi-ethnic country like ours, the real God has just exposed him and his dream to be Nigeria’s President one day has just died a natural death. ‘Yes-daddy’ is now permanently etched in the consciousness of the nation and we will NEVER forget.
Oyedepo Breaks Silence
Bishop David Oyedepo of the Living Faith Church says he has never campaigned for any politician during any election in the country.
He said this on Sunday at the church’s headquarters in Ogun State while speaking on the subject of faith.
In his reaction, Oyedepo said he never spoke to any group of people on behalf of any politician.
“Nobody had ever told me what to say in this world. No. I have never campaigned for anybody or speak on anybody’s behalf and I will not do that till I go to heaven.
“There is no (political) party in this country that didn’t come to me for prayers and for advice. I advised them, some, they didn’t take. Those who chose to take it, they see results; those who said no, they are going about it (laughs). If you still come again, I will still tell you, it doesn’t change,” he said.
The audio had attracted criticism for Obi, with some of his supporters saying it was doctored.
Peter Obi Reacts
The Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 Election, Mr. Peter Obi, has dismissed an audio recording of a telephone conversation between him and the Presiding Bishop, Living Faith Church, Bishop David Oyedepo, as product of the endless forgeries the All Progressives Congress has a notoriety for.
Obi who spoke through the Head, Obi Datti Media Office, Diran Onifade, in Abuja, on Sunday, said , APC’s desperate bid to grab and retain power using subterfuge must stop.
He said, “It appears the All Progressives Congress’ desperation to grab and retain power by foul means has refused to go away more than a month after they have grabbed the election as they planned.
“While we are toeing the constitutional path to retrieve our mandate, those who have truncated the wishes of the majority of Nigerians have recoursed to mischief and endless subterfuge to continue to hold on to what they know does not belong to them.
“From the show of shame in Portharcourt to the drama in the Ibom Air aircraft, both of which they contrived, they have now moved to the circulation of a deep fake audio file aimed at promoting religious tension in the country.
“All these are meant to serve no other purpose than egregious mischief aimed at demarketing Peter Obi. If the goal is to create a credibility problem, the ploy has failed woefully.
“Peter Obi has long been on record as the only presidential candidate who has urged the Nigerians electorate not to vote for him on the basis of religion or tribe .
“We will therefore like to advice our beloved Nigerian people to remain focused on the task to take back the mandate we know was freely given to Peter Obi and Datti Baba-Ahmed through legitimate means.
“That is more important than to expect those who ran election on forged credentials and even fake Bishops to stop faking. They cannot stop being fraudulent because that is who they are.”
Credit: DailyTrust, Vanguard, People’s Gazette
