CHURCH ARISE! – PUBLIC STATEMENT ON THE “RELIGIOUS WAR” AUDIO ATTRIBUTED TO MR PETER OBI AND BISHOP DAVID OYEDEPO

 Church Arise! is concerned about the desperation implied in the widely circulating audio clip attributed to Labour Party’s  Presidential Candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, and one of the spiritual Fathers in the land,  Bishop David Oyedepo. The audio has been denounced both by Mr Peter Obi and the Bishop as conveying perspectives they never endorsed nor ever expressed, even privately.  A forensic analyst using open-source AI software averred that the audio clip actually comprised of four different audios that have been put together, and that parts of the audios were AI-generated.  The analyst invited anyone interested to download the software and verify his finding themself. Nevertheless, according to the Obi-Datti Campaign Council, the contents of the “fake” audio “have been translated to other Nigerian languages and circulated in most parts of Northern Nigeria....”

 

It is strange that instead of expressing outrage at private phone conversations not only being illegally tapped, and then shamelessly doctored to convey dangerous meanings never expressed by the individuals involved, the audio is being portrayed as evidence that Mr. Peter Obi is a religious bigot!   This is an incongruous allegation against a candidate that had repeatedly urged the electorate to vote for him strictly on altruistic merits and not on tribal or religious sentiments.  Frankly speaking, if this is all the traducers of Peter Obi could raise against him, it speaks volumes of the integrity and honesty of the man, in the manner of Daniel (Daniel 6:4). 

 

Apparently, Peter Obi in the absolutely legitimate effort of seeking the support of the revered Bishop had quoted some of the several publicly expressed statements by notable Islamic authorities, such as  Dr Abdulmutallab Auwal of the Islamic Preachers coalition, that the election is a Jihad which would seal the supremacy of Islam over other religious expressions if the Moslem-Moslem ticket could succeed.  The faceless leakers of the audio would want us to accept that while the public proclamation of the election as a Jihad is Okay, reporting such statements (even in privacy) is bigotry!

At CA! we are well familiar with this ridiculous posturing as we have often found ourselves accused of “heating up the polity” simply by our reporting on persecuted Christians (such as Eunice at Abuja, Deborah at Sokoto, and of course, Leah who continues to languish in Islamic captivity even as we write this, for five years and counting!).

 

Our particular concern at this time is that desperate politicians proclaimed the gubernatorial election in Lagos an ethnic war, and pronto, against all basic logic, that evil declaration is gradually turning to a reality.  Now that the same set of voodoo players are trying to scuttle the upcoming election Tribunal with a proclamation of religious war in Nigeria, we by this write-up hereby frustrate whatever spell is being banked upon to actualize this evil pronouncement.

 

Peace and prosperity unto Nigeria in Jesus name!

 

Church Arise!

Ile-Ife, April 9, 2023.