2023 Election: Peter Obi finally admits making phone call to Oyedepo

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) during the 2023 elections, Peter Obi on May 3, 2023, admitted that he phoned the eminent cleric, Bishop David Oyedepo.

Obi however stressed that he never described the February 25 presidential election as a religious war.

The former Anambra state governor, described the leaked phone conversation between him and Founder of Winners Chapel as “doctored”, adding that at no time did he “ever say, think, or even imply that 2023 election is, or was a religious war”.

He said on Arise Television morning show: “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.

“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 (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.

“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.”