LP Fingers APC in Leaked Audio, Says It’s Doctored, Aimed at Promoting Religious Tension

Emameh Gabriel in Abuja

The Labour Party has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of doctoring a viral audio online, where its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, was heard in a phone call,soliciting help from Bishop David Oyedepo to speak with the christian community in some parts of the country on the eve of the February 25 presidential and national assembly elections.

The party, therefore, described the audio as one that was capable of instigating religious tension in the country, pointing that it was one of APC’s antics to shift public attention away from the party after allegedly grabbing power through the backdoor.

In the controversial audio also heard by THISDAY, Obi called Oyedepo of Living Faith Church (Winners’ Chapel) on the eve of the election and beckoned on him to pass messages to Christians across the Southeest and also to those in central states like Kwara, Kogi and Niger, saying the election was a ‘religious war’.
“Daddy, I need you to speak to your people in the South-West and Kwara, the Christians in the South-West and Kwara,” Mr Obi said in the audio, which is now trending online, adding: “This is a religious war.”

Responding, Oyedepo said, “I believe that, I believe that, I believe that.”
In his reply, Obi added: “Like I keep saying, if this works, you people will never regret the support.”
Replying again, Oyedepo said, “We look forward to God’s intervention,” and promised to circulate more messages to Christians on Obi’s behalf.
Reacting in statement, the Head Media, Obi-Datti Media Office, Diran Obifade, said APC’s desperation to grab and retain power by foul means has refused to leave the party a month after the controversial presidential election.

He contended that, it was worrisome to note that while the Labour Party was toeing the constitutional path to retrieve its mandate, “those who have truncated the wishes of the majority of Nigerians have resorted to mischief and endless subterfuge to continue to hold on to what they know does not belong to them.

“From the show of shame in Port Harcourt to the drama in the Ibom Air aircraft, both of which they contrived, they have now moved to the circulation of a deep fake audio file aimed at promoting religious tension in the country.

“All these are meant to serve no other purpose than egregious mischief aimed at demarketing Peter Obi. If the goal is to create a credibility problem, the ploy has failed woefully. Peter Obi has long been on record as the only presidential candidate who has urged the Nigerians electorate not to vote for him on the basis of religion or tribe.”

The party, therefore, advised Nigerians to remain focused on the task to take back the mandate it said “was freely given to Peter Obi and Datti Baba-Ahmed through legitimate means. That is more important than to expect those who ran election on forged credentials and even fake Bishops to stop faking. They cannot stop being fraudulent, because that is who they are.”