- By Halimah Olamide
A chieftain of the Labour Party Kenneth Okonkwo had confirmed that a viral audio of the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party Peter Obi with the popular cleric Bishop David Oyedepo is authentic.
Okonkwo, who is also a popular Nigerian actor in a tweet said the audio is being twisted by those he called political criminals to paint Obi in the light of a religious bigot.
Our attention has been drawn to the publication of this audio tape of private conversation between @PeterObi 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,” Okonkwo said.
“Firstly, the context of the conversation was aptly put by Bishop Oyedepo when he said ‘All Nigerians have equal stake in this nation, nobody has the right to claim that he is dashing something to someone’.
“H E @PeterObi was simply urging the Bishop to help him push this message of 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 own support. No politician has ever visited the Olofa of Offa.
“It is clear to everybody that the APC political party that has a presidential candidate, vice presidential candidate, senate president, speaker of the house of representatives, deputy speaker of the house of representatives, national chairman of the party all from one religion.”
According to Okonkwo, it is the ruling party that has declared religious war on Nigerians. He added that Nigerians “must all rise up 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.
Many Nigerians have reacted to the viral audio accusing Obi of tainting his ambition with religious bias.