The Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 Election, Mr. Peter Obi, has dismissed a purported audio recording of a telephone conversation between him and the founder of Living Faith Church Worldwide, Bishop David Oyedepo, as product of the endless forgeries of the All Progressives Congress (APC) aimed at promoting religious tension in the country
Obi stated this while responding to a trending leaked audio recording of an alleged conversation between him and Oyedepo in which he was purported to have asked the cleric to mobilize support for him in Kwara and South-West states ahead of the disputed election.
Obi who spoke through the Head, Obi Datti Media Office, Diran Onifade, in Abuja, on Sunday, said the circulation of the “deep fake audio file” is aimed at demarketing him (Obi).
He said, “It appears the All Progressives Congress’ desperation to grab and retain power by foul means has refused to go away more than a month after they have grabbed the election as they planned.
“While we are toeing the constitutional path to retrieve our mandate, those who have truncated the wishes of the majority of Nigerians have recoursed 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 Portharcourt 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 .
“We will therefore like to advice our beloved Nigerian people to remain focused on the task to take back the mandate we know 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.”
Ifunanya Ikueze is an Engineer, Safety Professional, Writer, Investor, Entrepreneur and Educator.