Kenneth Okonkwo, the spokesperson for the presidential candidate of the Labour party Peter Obi, has responded to criticisms he faced for authenticating the controversial leaked audio clip between the former Anambra state governor and Bishop Oyedepo.
In the leaked conversation making the rounds in the Nigerian digital space, Obi said the presidential election was a religious war while the cleric concurred.
“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 in the audio obtained by Peoples Gazette.
“This is a religious war,” Obi added.
The leaked phone conversation, which was published on April 1, generated controversy, with some Nigerians calling Obi a religious bigot.
Some people also doubted the authenticity of the audio, arguing that it was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Rather than debunking the purported leaked audio, Okonkwo weighed in and said Obi was simply asking Oyedepo to help him pass a message to voters.
The LP spokesman further described the audio as a private conversation between the duo, adding that Obi was merely asking the cleric to mobilise support for him ahead of the election.
His statement read, “Our attention has been drawn to the publication of this audio tape of a private conversation between Peter Obi and Bishop Oyedepo. It is not surprising that these political criminals are trying to spin the conversation as if Obi was making a religious statement.
“Firstly, the context of the conversation was aptly put by Bishop Oyedepo when he said, “All Nigerians have an equal stake in this nation; nobody has the right to claim that he is dashing something to someone.
“Peter Obi was simply urging the Bishop to help him push this message of the equal stake of all Nigerians in the Nigerian project to his people and the Christendom because the politicians of the other party are carrying on this campaign as if it is a religious war.
“To drive home this point, he informed him that he visited the traditional ruler of Offa, the Olofa of Offa, who is a Muslim, but who advised Obi to get the support of Oyedepo and be assured of his support.
“No politician has ever visited the Olofa of Offa. It is clear to everybody that the APC political party has a Presidential Candidate, Vice Presidential Candidate, Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, and National Chairman of the Party all from one religion at a time the CJN is a Muslim is the Party that has declared religious war on Nigerians, and we must all rise together to fight this unconstitutional act of religious intolerance of other religions by APC.
“I went around with Obi on campaign train and never saw him discriminate against any religion. Of course, he can’t because his Vice is a Muslim, unlike APC. I resigned from APC because of their religious intolerance. Nigerians should disregard any insinuation of religious bigots about this tape.”
Responding to the insults he received for authenticating the clip in a tweet, Okokwo said, “This love is mutual. I love you all from my heart. To all who have a different opinion from my submission be assured of my love too. Honesty is the best policy.”
