There are indications the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Peter Obi, may be considering going on self-exile, following his leaked audio conversation with the Founder of Living Faith Church Worldwide, Bishop David Oyedepo.
This is coming as the LP Presidential candidate announced in a series of tweets, on Wednesday night, that he is being advised by some agents of the Federal Government to go on exile.
Obi also used the tweet to deny describing the 2023 presidential election, as a “religious war,” saying he has since been under pressure to go on exile.
in the audio conversation, Obi was heard telling Bishop Oyedepo, to help him canvass votes of Christians, noting that the 2023 presidential election was a religious war.
He also told Bishop Oyedepo in the audio conversation that he needed his help to get through to voters from the South West and Kwara state.
However, in his recent tweets, Obi denied the conversation and promised to take legal action against the Peoples Gazette, the online platform that posted the audio.
“The present attempts by the APC as a party, and the APC led-government through some government officials and agencies to divert attention from our blatantly stolen mandate is unfortunate and sad.
“These have come and continued to manifest in different ways, such as the malicious accusation of the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, the circulation of a fake doctored audio call, and a pressure on me to leave the country.
“Let me reiterate that the audio call being circulated is fake, and at no time throughout the campaign and now did I ever say, think, or even imply that the 2023 election is, or was a religious war,” Obi said.
Speaking on the February 25 Presidential election that he is contesting at the election tribunal, after coming third behind, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Obi said, “Before, during, and after the campaign, it is on record that I have maintained my commitment and focus on issue-based campaign about a new Nigeria that is possible, a shift of emphasis from consumption to production, a new Nigeria characterized by inclusion, justice, equity, fairness, and prosperity.
“I repeatedly stated that no one should vote for me based on tribe or religion, but rather on the assessment of character, competence, capacity, credibility, and compassion that can be trusted to create a New Nigeria!.
“The attempts to manipulate Nigerians is very sad and wicked. Our legal team have been instructed to take appropriate legal actions against the Peoples Gazette and others.
“While we call on all concerned Nigerians and the International Community to implore the APC and the APC led-government to stop their nasty attacks, my focus and commitment to lawfully and peacefully retrieve our mandate to secure and unite our Nation, take Nigeria from consumption to production, pull millions of Nigerians out of multidimensional poverty, especially in the North, and jumpstart prosperity through agricultural, industrial, and technological revolution remain unchanged.
“Elections are over, and we are in Court to retrieve our stolen mandate. Let me reiterate that we are doing so through all lawful and peaceful options in line with our legal system and constitution, and I continue to implore all Nigerians to remain peaceful and law abiding.
“Those fixated with heating up the polity, creating divisions, tensions and hatred within and outside Nigeria should remember that Nigeria is our only country. Our focus should be on how to address the litany of challenges facing us, such as: flawed electoral processes, the parlous state of our economy, unsustainable debt burden, lamentable unemployment and inflation, insecurity, and multi-dimensional poverty. A New Nigeria is indeed POssible, and God will help us,” Obi said.