Obi denies making the claim that the 2023 election would be religious conflict

A day after the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) denied call monitoring and leaking, the LP candidate responded.

Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate, has distanced himself from a reportedly leaked phone call between himself and Bishop David Oyedepo, the head of Living Faith Church International, also known as Winners Chapel.

The audio tape was broadcast online, which led to conflict between Obi’s supporters—known as Obidients—and a number of their political rivals both online and offline.

While Obi did not speak in public until two days after the claims made by the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, Oyedepo on Sunday asserted that he had never advocated for any politician or addressed any organisation on their behalf.

Nevertheless, the LP candidate went on Twitter on Wednesday to deny the audio’s veracity, claiming that he had constantly remained committed to running an issue-based campaign and was working to create a new Nigeria that was characterised by inclusiveness, justice, equity, fairness, and prosperity.

I consistently maintained that people shouldn’t vote for me based on their tribe or religion, but rather on their evaluation of my character, competence, capacity, credibility, and compassion—qualities that can be relied upon to build a new Nigeria.

Obi criticised what he called current attempts by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the APC-led administration to deflect attention from “our clearly stolen mandate” through various government officials and institutions.

He claims that they have taken in several forms, including “the false accusation of the Minister of Information, Mr. Lai Mohammed, the dissemination of a bogus doctored audio call, and pressure on me to leave the country.”

Let me emphasise that the audio call that is being spread is phoney. At no point throughout the campaign or up until now did I ever state, think, or even indicate that the 2023 election is, or was, a religious conflict.

The LP candidate added that his legal team had been directed to take proper legal action against the online medium in issue and others, while denouncing the attempts to “manipulate” Nigerians as “extremely sad and terrible.”

All Nigerians who are concerned should ask the APC and the APC-led administration to halt “their vicious assaults,” the former governor of Anambra pleaded.

He stated that among other goals, his concentration and dedication to “retrieve our mandate to safeguard and unite our Nation” legally and peacefully remain unwavering.

“Elections are finished, and we are in court to reclaim our mandate that was stolen. Reiterating that we are doing so in accordance with our legal framework and constitution, let me again urge all Nigerians to maintain peace and observance of the law.

“Those focused on igniting the polity, sowing discord, hostility, and hatred both inside and beyond Nigeria should remember that Nigeria is our only nation,” he stated.

Claims of phone tracking and leaks

On Tuesday, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) denied claims that it had tracked and leaked phone calls, claiming that the law prohibits them from doing so.

It made the allegation after allegedly receiving a deluge of inquiries over complaints of telephone “tracking” and “leakage” made by various people and organisations on social media.

The remark from the commission comes in the middle of a contentious audio tape.

In the tape, Peter Obi and Bishop David Oyedepo are heard conversing over the phone.

For his part, Obi insisted in a tweet that his campaign was issue-based and not centred on racial or religious affiliation.

“I Never Supported Anti-State Action”

Lai Mohammed, the communications minister, addressed a news conference in Washington, DC, amid concerns over a rumoured conspiracy to erect an interim government, warning Citizens not to incite violence.

Mohammed warned the former governor against using potentially treasonous language and charged that he was unable to accept Bola Tinubu’s victory in the presidential election on February 25.

But Obi refuted the claims, saying they are only the most recent in a string of deliberate attempts to misrepresent him.

Some of what he stated was, “In the past several days, I have witnessed different campaigns of slander directed at my person, with the latest being charges ascribed to the information Minister, Lai Mohammed from Washington DC.

“I have never advocated for or discussed undermining the Nigerian government; I have never funded or preached against the Nigerian government.”