Kenneth Okonkwo, the spokesperson of Labour Party presidential campaign council, has reacted to a viral audio purportedly between the party's presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and Bishop David Oyedepo of Living Faith Church.
In a tweet thread on Sunday, Okonkwo said,
"political criminals are trying to spin the conversation as if Obi was
making a religious statement."
According to Okonkwo, the conversation was
said to be before the February 25 presidential election, and Obi was only
appealing to the Bishop to assist in pushing the message of equal stake in the
Nigerian project to his people and Christendom.
Okonkwo confirmed the conversation and
explained that Obi was urging the Bishop to help him push the message of equal
stake of all Nigerians in the Nigerian project to his people and 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 at a time the CJN is a Muslim is the Party that has declared religious
war on Nigerians, and we must all rise up together to fight this
unconstitutional act of religious intolerance of other religions by APC."
Okonkwo also urged Nigerians to disregard
insinuations of religious bigots about the audio conversation.
"I went around with Obi on a campaign
train and never saw him discriminate against any religion. Of course, he can't
because his Vice is a Muslim, unlike APC. I resigned from APC because of their
religious intolerance. Nigerians should disregard any insinuation of religious
bigots about this tape," Okonkwo added.
However, in his reaction to the viral audio, which has attracted criticism for Obi, Bishop Oyedepo refuted the claim of his involvement in the conversation, saying he has never spoken or solicited any group's support on behalf of any politician.
He said, "Nobody had ever
told me what to say in this world. No. I have never campaigned for anybody or
speak on anybody's behalf, and I will not do that till I go to heaven. There is
no (political) party in this country that didn't come to me for prayers and for
advice.
“I advised them, some, they didn't take.
Those who chose to take it, they see results; those who said no, they are going
about it (laughs). If you still come again, I will still tell you, it doesn't
change."
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