Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party and former governor of Anambra, has revealed that he is facing pressure to go into exile.
News About Nigeria understands that the pressure comes after various attacks on Obi from different quarters, including being accused of treason and inciting insurrection for refusing to accept the outcome of the February 25 presidential election.
Over the weekend, an audio clip leaked in which Obi was heard asking Bishop David Oyedepo, founder of Living Faith Church Worldwide, for help in canvassing the votes of Christians.
In the clip, Obi also said he needed Oyedepo’s help to get through to the South West and Kwara State, describing the election as a religious war.
Checks by News About Nigeria on Obi’s Twitter page on Wednesday night, revealed that he had described the audio clip as fake, saying that he never referred to the 2023 elections as a religious war.
He also vowed to take legal action against Peoples Gazette, the online platform that released the audio.
Speaking on the February 25 presidential election that he is contesting at the election tribunal, Obi focused on issue-based campaigns about a New Nigeria that is possible, a shift of emphasis from consumption to production, and inclusion, justice, equity, fairness, and prosperity.
He urged Nigerians to vote for him based on character, competence, capacity, credibility, and compassion that can be trusted to create a New Nigeria.
While calling on all concerned Nigerians and the international community to implore the APC and the APC Led-government to stop their nasty attacks, Obi reiterated his commitment to lawfully and peacefully retrieve his mandate to secure and unite Nigeria, take the country from consumption to production, pull millions of Nigerians out of multidimensional poverty, and jumpstart prosperity through agricultural, industrial, and technological revolution.
Obi said elections are over, and they are in court to retrieve their stolen mandate through all lawful and peaceful options in line with the legal system and constitution.
He implored all Nigerians to remain peaceful and law-abiding, and those fixated on heating up the polity, creating divisions, tensions, and hatred within and outside Nigeria should remember that Nigeria is the only country they have.
Obi urged everyone to focus on addressing the litany of challenges facing Nigeria, such as flawed electoral processes, the parlous state of the economy, unsustainable debt burden, lamentable unemployment and inflation, insecurity, and multi-dimensional poverty.
Meanwhile, People’s Gazette, has refused to reveal its source for the leaked audio conversation.
Deputy Managing Editor, Boladale Adekoya, said the audio clip was sourced and properly authenticated in advance of running it.
