Leaked audio: Clarify position, FG tells Peter Obi

The Federal Government has asked Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi to clarify his position on a leaked audio recording of a conversation he allegedly had with Bishop David Oyedepo, the founder of Living Faith Church Worldwide. Speaking to the media in London on Monday, Minister of Information and Culture Alhaji Lai Mohammed said Obi must explain what he meant when he described the recording as “a fake doctored audio call.”

Mohammed noted that the audio “rattled Nigerians” because it appeared to show Obi pleading with the cleric to intervene on his behalf and to convince Christians that the election was a religious war, urging them to support him. After the leak, Obi claimed the recording was “a fake, doctored audio call.” The minister argued that if it is fake, the conversation never took place; if it is doctored, the conversation did occur but was altered. He demanded that Obi specify whether the entire conversation was fabricated or only parts of it—such as the beginning, the middle, the end, the “Yes Daddy” segment, or the claim that it was a religious war—were manipulated.

According to Mohammed, the leaked audio supports the view that Obi’s electioneering campaign was based on religion and ethnicity, a phenomenon he described as unprecedented in Nigeria’s electoral history. He claimed that Obi’s votes will largely come from his home region and from those sharing his religious affiliation, warning that such a campaign is “not good for the politics of Nigeria” and is “very dangerous.” He said the divisive politics have left the country more fragmented than ever, with commentary increasingly divided along religious and ethnic lines, and that even respected analysts are noting the harmful effects of this polarization.

The audio clip, released by an online newspaper, allegedly captures a conversation between Obi and Bishop Oyedepo. While on his mission to London, the minister said his purpose is to defend the legitimacy of the recently concluded general elections and to correct the skewed narrative surrounding the polls. He added that, as he did recently in Washington, he will inform the world that the 2023 election was the freest in Nigeria’s history. The National Agency for News (NAN) reports that the minister is scheduled to hold discussions and meetings with international media organisations and relevant think‑tanks based in London.