Leaked trending audio of a phone conversation between Labor presidential candidate Peter Obi and Bishop David Oyedepo of Living Fate Church has confused the LP candidate's media team.
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Meanwhile, veteran broadcaster Dylan Onifadeh, head of his Datty media office, said in a statement in Abuja on Sunday that the audio was a fake of Deephi, a member of his media team. It was dismissed as a product of the propaganda machine of the ruling party All Progressive Conference. , Keneth Okwonkwo, confirmed the authenticity of the sound.
However, Okwonko's statement, which was released in a series of tweets on his Twitter handle hours after Dylan's statement, explained that the audio was taken out of context by Obi's opponents.
In an audio released by the online newspaper Peoples Gazette, Obi asked for Oydepo's help in getting votes from Christians in the Southwest.
The Labor Party presidential candidate said the 2023 presidential election was a war of religion and needed a vote. He said, "Papa, I want your men in the Southwest and Kwara, the Christians in the Southwest and Kwara, to speak up. This is a religious war. As I keep saying:
If it works, you will never regret supporting it. "
The audio caused an uproar on his social media, with some of Obi's supporters claiming the audio recording was fake.
Onifade said in a statement early Sunday morning:
"As we follow the constitutional path to regain power, those who have suppressed the wishes of the majority of Nigerians are forced to commit mischief in order to continue to cling to what they know is not theirs. I have resorted to endless tactics.
"From the show of shame in Port Harcourt to the drama they envisioned on the Ibom plane, they are now circulating completely fake audio files designed to fuel religious tensions in the country. . “All of this serves no purpose other than a vicious prank intended to stop Peter Obi marketing. increase.
"Peter Obi is the only presidential candidate who has long urged Nigerian voters not to vote for him based on religion or tribe.
“Therefore, I would like to advise my beloved Nigerian people to remain focused on the task of reclaiming the powers voluntarily granted to Peter Obi and Datty Baba Ahmed through legitimate means.
"This is more important than expecting people who held elections with fake credentials and even fake bishops to stop forging. They can't stop cheating.
However, in a separate statement hours later, Okonkwo confirmed the authenticity of the same audio, but claimed it was taken out of context by critics.
he wrote:
“During a private conversation between @PeterObi and Bishop Oyedepo, I was notified of the release of this tape. of course.
"First, Bishop Oyedepo aptly put the context of the conversation, stating, 'All Nigerians have an equal share in this country. No one has the right to say it's their fault.' Peter Obi has sent this message of equal participation of all Nigerians in the Nigerian project to his people and Christ as politicians from other parties are waging this campaign as if it were a religious war. He urged the bishop to help bring it into the Church.
He further explained that Orofa of Ofa, the traditional ruler of Ofa who is a Muslim, advised Obi to enlist the support of Oidepo to ensure his own support. It happened during a visit to the ruler.
According to him, no politician ever visited Olofa of Ofa. Everyone knows that APC parties belong to the presidential candidate, the vice presidential candidate, the speaker of the Senate, the speaker of the House, the vice-speaker of the House, and the national leader. For one religion, the CJN is the Muslim, the political party that declared a religious war against Nigerians, and we all must stand together to combat this unconstitutional act of religious intolerance against other religions by the APC. I have to.
“I rode the campaign train with Obi and never saw him discriminate against religion. Of course, unlike the APC, his vice is Muslim, so he No. I left APC because of their religious intolerance.Nigerians should ignore references to this video by religious zealots," Okwonko added.