Leaked audio: I spoke to Oyedepo on the phone, Peter Obi says

Peter Obi, the Labour Party's presidential candidate in the last election, admitted conversing by phone with Bishop David Oyedepo, the presiding bishop of Living Faith Worldwide, prior to the election.

Obi begged Oyedepo to intercede in Kogi, Niger, and other places where Christians were not complying in a leaked phone call.

He answered Oyedepo, "Yes, Daddy," intermittently in the tape, which was misinterpreted.

Obi admitted during a Monday night interview on Arise TV that he did contact Oyedepo but claimed he never used the term "religious war."

Obi stated that he did not care what others thought and that he was not a religious extremist.

"Do you believe that I can simply pick up the phone and say "religious war"?" No, I even begged the bishop to help me ask his people to vote, and for six months I did nothing but plead.

"I did not say "catch him," "kill him," or "force it." I was even pleading. This demonstrates that I persisted in begging for votes. "There were so many things we attempted to do that were unacceptable," he said.

He stated that those attempting to manipulate Nigerians have been doing so, but that their efforts will soon come to an end.

Obi lamented that the people they have been manipulating are starving to death, adding, "They will soon realize who the religious and tribal bigots are. I am not one. I have just demonstrated how I built a mosque. No non-Muslim governor has sent more pilgrims to Mecca than I have until today.

According to Obi, he could never claim that the presidential election was a religious conflict because it was not.

There was a discussion. But I never claimed it to be a religious conflict. What's the point? I am encircled by individuals. If ever there was a case in which the presidential candidate and his deputy worked as brothers, it would be me and Datti. And I am aware, and we never cease discussing it.

"For the first time in Nigeria's history, the presidential candidate, his running companion, and the party chairman were all born after the country's independence." We must save this country, and he (Datti) is aware of my dedication to this cause. "I cannot do all of these with religious conflict in the background," he said.

Source: PM news