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Four days after an audio conversation purportedly featuring him and the founder of the Living Faith Church Worldwide (Winners' Chapel), Bishop David Oyedepo, surfaced online, the Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi has finally reacted.
Obi's reaction was contained in a series of tweets posted on his verified Twitter page on the evening of Wednesday, April 5, 2023.
This comes a few hours after a Muslim group, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), asked Obi and Oyedepo to either confirm or deny the authenticity of the controversial audio tape.
The said tape purportedly captured the Labour Party flag-bearer asking the respected cleric to help him rally Christian voters in the South-West and Kwara State.
“Daddy, I need you to speak to your people in the South-West and Kwara, the Christians in the South-West and Kwara,” Obi said during the conversation allegedly held on the eve of the February 25 presidential election.
In the conversation, Obi purportedly described the election as "a religious war," to which Oyedepo replied, “I believe that I believe that, I believe that."
But, reacting to the content of the audio, Obi insisted that "at no time did ever say, think, or even imply that the 2023 election is, or was a religious war.”
He described the audio tapa as fake, adding that his legal team has been asked to take appropriate legal action on the matter.
Obi's tweets read: “I continue to thank all Nigerians, especially the youths and the Obidients, as they have remained focused on the core mission of a New Nigeria that is POssible even after the February 25, 2023 presidential election.
“I repeatedly stated that no one should vote for me based on Tribe or Religion, but rather on the assessment of Character, Competence, Capacity, Credibility, and Compassion that can be trusted to create a New Nigeria!
“The present attempts by the APC as a Party, and the APC Led-government through some government officials and agencies to divert our attention from our blatantly stolen mandate is unfortunate and sad.
“These have come and continued to manifest in different ways, such as the malicious accusation of the Minister of Information, Mr Lai Mohammed, the circulation of a fake doctored audio call, and a pressure on me to leave the country.
“Let me reiterate that the audio call being circulated is fake, and at no time throughout the campaign and now did I ever say, think, or even imply that the 2023 election is, or was a religious war.
“The attempts to manipulate Nigerians is very sad and wicked. Our legal team have been instructed to take appropriate legal actions against Peoples Gazette and others.
“Elections are over, and we are in court to retrieve our stolen mandate. Let me reiterate that we are doing so through all lawful and peaceful options in line with our legal system and constitution, and I continue to implore all Nigerians to remain peaceful and law abiding.
Those fixated with heating up the polity, creating divisions, tensions and hatred within and outside Nigeria should remember that Nigeria is our only country. Our focus should be on how to address the litany of challenges facing us, such as: flawed electoral processes, the parlous state of our economy, unsustainable debt burden, lamentable unemployment and inflation, insecurity, and multidimensional poverty. A New Nigeria is indeed POssible, and God will help us.”