Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), has denied describing the 2023 election as a “religious war” in a leaked audio conversation with David Oyedepo, the founder of Winners Chapel.
In response to the audio clip, Obi had previously said that it was doctored, and that he never suggested that the election was a religious war. During an Arise Television program on Monday, Obi spoke on the matter again, revealing that he had called the cleric to seek votes.
Obi said, “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.”
Obi went on to explain that he had never made any reference to a religious war during the conversation, and that he had always sought to work with people of different religious beliefs. He stated, “I can never say it (election) 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. If there was ever an instance where the presidential candidate and his deputy work as brothers, it is me and Datti. 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.”
Obi also reiterated his commitment to the development of the country, saying, “We must save this country and he (Datti) knows my commitment to it. I can’t do all these with the background of religious war.”
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