Group condemns Obi’s leaked audio conversation with Oyedepo

A group under the auspices of the Global Network for Sustainable Development (GNSD) has condemned the leaked phone conversation between Peter Obi, Presidential Candidate of Labour Party and David Oyedepo, Presiding Bishop of the Living Faith Church.

The audio clip released by online newspaper, Peoples Gazzete, has set social media on fire since Saturday.

In the audio, Obi was heard begging Oyedepo to help him mobilize Christian voters ahead of the election, especially those in the North Central states of Kwara, Kogi and Niger, declaring the election was a religious war.

But addressing a press conference on Tuesday in Abuja, the group’s convener, Amb. Philip Roberts described those calling out Obi as a bunch of “shameless hypocrites.”

Citing section 37 of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended, he said “Every citizen of Nigeria is entitled to their privacy. Be it in their homes, communications with people by way of letters, telephone or telegraph is protected and guaranteed by the Constitution).”

He continued: “Those who leaked the purported telephone conversation acted in breach of a citizen’s confidentiality and right to privacy, and it is malicious, callous, and criminal.

“For placing Obi’s purported private conversation in the public domain, those behind this despicable plot are liable to criminal prosecution.

“We are aware that the All-Progressives Congress (APC) orchestrated this blackmail to distract Nigerians from challenging the party’s purchased victory at the fraudulent presidential poll. The purported leaked audio conversation has APC’s blackmail mill written all over it.

“The infamous political Almajeri has used his office as the Director, New Media APC Presidential Campaign Council to carry out similar dirty jobs before, especially against Tinubu’s opponents.

“It is a shame that a party that claimed to have won electoral victory has resorted to underhand practices and cheap blackmail against a purported loser instead of defending their purchased victory in court.

“We are even more angered by Femi Fani-Kayode’s call to security agencies to ‘declare Obi a master terrorist’ for purportedly ‘describing the election as a religious war’

“Let us not forget his recent inciting comments that fuelled unprecedented violence against non-Yoruba voters in Lagos State at the just-concluded governorship poll. Fani-Kayode is such a foul-mouthed imp and national disgrace.

“We also want to use this medium to ask the Labour Party Presidential candidate, Peter Obi to press charges against those who leaked and doctored his telephone conversation with Bishop Oyedepo.

“The leaked conversation is an invasion of his privacy. With incidents like this, one may be forced to ask how safe are Nigerian’s telephone conversations.

“We, therefore, call on telecommunication companies in the country to rise to their responsibility of protecting their customers’ privacy.”