The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the February 25 elections, Peter Obi, has confirmed that he had private phone conversation with the founder of Living Faith Church Worldwide, Bishop David Oyedepo.
Peter Obi admitted phoning Oyedepo when he appeared on Arise Television on Monday night.
However, he debunked describing the presidential election as a ‘religious war’.
Religious War
Peter Obi was asked if the phone conversation was real or just another propaganda aided by artificial intelligence, he admitted consulting with the preacher.
“Call it whatever you want to call it. Whatever anyone wants to make of it, I am not a religious bigot.
“Do you think I can just pick a phone and say ‘religious war’? No, I was even begging the bishop to help me ask his people to vote, which was what I was doing for six months – begging.
“I wasn’t saying ‘catch him’, ‘kill him’, ‘force it’. I was even begging.
“That shows that I continued to look for votes by begging.
“There were so many things we tried to do but they were not okay.
Manipulations
“Let me tell you. Those who have been trying to manipulate Nigerians have been doing it. But it is coming to an end.
“The people they have been manipulating are dying of hunger.
“They will soon know who is the religious or tribal bigot. I am not one.
“I have just given you an example of how I built mosques.
“Till today, no non-Muslim governor has sent more people to Mecca than me.
“I can never say it (poll) is a religious war. Because it is not.
“There was a conversation. But I never said it was a religious war. What for? I am surrounded by people,” he insisted.
Commitment
The presidential candidate of the Labour Party also spoke on his relationship with his running mate.
“If there was ever an instance where the presidential candidate and his deputy work as brothers, it is me and Datti.
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“And I know, and we never stop talking about it.
“For the first time in the history of Nigeria, we have a presidential candidate, running mate and party chairman who were born after Nigeria’s Independence.
“We must save this country and he (Datti) knows my commitment to it.
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“I can’t do all these with the background of religious war,” he concluded.
After the audio conversation with Bishop Oyedepo was released, different views followed.
Some persons condemned him for seeking the support of Oyedepo and for allegedly saying there was a religious war.
