2nd April, 2023
Kenneth Okonkwo, a spokesperson for the Labour presidential campaign, has confirmed that the leaked audio of the private conversation between Peter Obi and Bishop David Oyedepo is authentic.
In the audio clip, a voice similar to that of Obi was captured asking Oyedepo to speak to the Christians in the southwest and Kwara to vote for him in the presidential poll, describing the election as a “religious war”.
However, Okonkwo urged Nigerians to disregard any insinuation of religious bigotry linked to a viral audio clip.
According to Okonkwo the “religious war” comment should not spin as if Obi was making a religious statement.
Okonkwo said: “Our attention has been drawn to the publication of this audio tape of a private conversation between @peterobigregory 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 an equal stake in this nation, nobody has the right to claim that he is dashing something to someone”.
“His Excellency Peter Obi was simply urging the Bishop to help him push this message of an equal stake of all Nigerians in the Nigerian project to his people and the Christendom because the politicians of the other party are 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 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 the 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.”