Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), has disputed the widely circulated recording of an alleged phone conversation between himself and the head of the Living Faith Church, Bishop David Oyedepo.
Obi denounced the alleged leaked tape as phony and doctored in a lengthy statement sent on Wednesday evening via his Twitter page.
According to news reports, Obi was heard on the leaked audio describing the 2023 presidential race as a holy battle and pleading for Bishop Oyedepo to assist him in mobilizing Christian votes.
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In his statement on Wednesday, Obi, however, refuted the authenticity of the phone conversation and revealed that he has asked his lawyers to take legal action against the news portal that initially leaked the claimed audio.
He has never described the 2023 election as a religious conflict, he claims.
The LP candidate also chastised the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the slanderous attacks, but vowed not to be sidetracked from his commitment to reclaim the stolen mandate through the courts.
The former Anambra State Governor also revealed that he was under pressure to leave the country, but he refused.
Below is the full text of what he said:: “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.
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“Before, during, and after the campaign, it is on record that I have maintained my commitment and focus on issue-based campaign about a New Nigeria that is POssible,a shift of emphasis from consumption to production, a New Nigeria characterized by inclusion, justice, equity, fairness, and prosperity.
“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.
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“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.
“While we call on all concerned Nigerians and the International Community to implore the APC and the APC Led-government to stop their nasty attacks, my focus and commitment to lawfully and peacefully retrieve our mandate to secure and unite our Nation,take Nigeria from consumption to production, pull millions of Nigerians out of multidimensional poverty especially in the North, and jumpstart prosperity through agricultural, industrial, and technological revolution remain unchanged.
“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.
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“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 multi-dimensional poverty. A New Nigeria is indeed POssible, and God will help us. -PO”
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