How Peter Obi Skirted Around His Phone Scandal With Bishop Oyedepo As APC Chieftain Says Another Embarrassing Audio Is Coming

 

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, on Tuesday, reacted to accusations made by Nigeria’s information and culture minister, Lai Mohammed that he made undemocratic comments that threaten the country’s unity.

 

Obi, however, skirted around his phone scandal which followed the leakage of a telephone conversation he had with Bishop David Oyedepo, founder of Living Faith Church Worldwide.

 

Mohammed on Monday, in Washington DC after several meetings and engagements with selected international media outfits accused Obi and the Labour Party of causing tension in Nigeria.

 

“Mr Obi has continued with his fake news that he won the election which is absurd and delusional.”

The Minister said that the outcome of the presidential and National Assembly elections clearly shows that Labour Party is a regional or sectional party that needs to build bridges to record tangible success.

 

“He needs to reach out if he wants to remain relevant in politics. Please he should stop disturbing the peace of Nigeria. You cannot in one breath go to court to seek redress and also be seen inciting people. As a democrat, you should not only believe in democracy when you win elections,” Mohammed added.

 

The audio in which Obi described the 2023 presidential election as a ‘religious war’, had been trending since it was published by an online newspaper, Peoples Gazette on Saturday.

 

In the leaked phone conversation, Oyedepo prayed for Obi, saying, “In Jesus’ name, we are going to get a bright tomorrow,” with Obi replying by saying, “When I hear these prayers, it is very dear to me and like I keep saying, if this thing works, you people will never regret the support.”

 

Continuing the conversation, Oyedepo said, “We look forward to God’s intervention,” to which Obi responded by saying, “Thank you, Daddy. I need you to speak to your people in the Southwest and Kwara. The Christians in the Southwest and Kwara.” Bishop Oyedepo said: “Okay.”

 

Obi continued by saying, “This is a religious war,” with Oyedepo responding immediately, “I believe you, I believe that. You know, I did a release, ‘Nigeria going forward’ and I’m coming out with the second one today.”

 

The spokesperson for the Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council, Kenneth Okonkwo, confirmed that the audio is authentic.

 

However, the presidential candidate, who returned to Twitter on Tuesday morning after taking a break since the scandal broke, skirted around the phone scandal but reacted to the comments made by Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, who accused him of treason.

 

This comes as a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress and Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor on Drainages, Joe Igbokwe, on Tuesday said another scandalous telephone conversation involving Obi was coming.

 

“I heard with one ear that another unbelievable Telephone conversation is coming,” Igbokwe said in a Facebook post.

 

On Tuesday, Obi posted on Twitter, “In the past few days, I have observed various campaigns of calumny directed at my person, with the latest being allegations attributed to the information Minister, Lai Mohammed from Washington DC.

 

“It is most unfortunate that these consistent efforts to portray me quite contrary to what I am, and my core values, is coming from such high quarters. Minister Lai accusing me of stoking insurrection is totally malicious and fictitious.

 

“I have never discussed or encouraged anyone to undermine the Nigerian state; I have never sponsored or preached any action against the Nigerian state. Those initiating these actions have increasingly used their official positions and agents to make false allegations against me.

 

“I am on record as always, advocating for peace and issue-based campaign and never campaigned based on ethnicity or religion. I am committed to due process, and presently seeking redress in the Court.”

 

"I urge those engaged in this demarketing process to stop presenting Nigeria in such bad light. Our future generations deserve a new Nigeria, where they can live a secure and decent life like their counterparts in other climes. It is possible," the statement added.

 

Obi's Media Assistant, Valentine Obienyem had revealed that the audio was released by someone known to them and that a committee was reviewing the phone conversations of the Labour Party candidate.

 

According to Obienyem, like Obi, the person in question is from Anambra State. Obi is a former governor of Anambra.

 

Obienyem said the person is from Nnewi in Anambra but stopped short of mentioning his name.

 

He described him as a "Nnewi prodigal brother" but noted that the audio was doctored to leave out some elements that would have provided some context in order to smear Obi's character and reputation.

 

He stated: "I heard they set up a Committee made up of some people from National Communications Commission, headed by our prodigal brother from Nnewi.

 

"They are reviewing all calls Obi made in the last three years, and especially now to see if he mentioned Interim Government or anything that will make them prosecute him for treason when and if they take over."

 

"Till now, they are yet to see any. The badly doctored conservation with Bishop Oyedepo released by our Nnewi prodigal brother is the much they have discovered so far.

 

"They edited out the Muslim-Muslim ticket that led to the discussion, where Obi said that in a society like ours, religious balancing was a necessary consideration and that their recklessness had made Christians to assume it was a religious war," he added.