The Presiding Bishop of the Living Faith Church Worldwide, David Oyedepo, said on Sunday that he has never campaigned for any politician or spoken on their behalf to anybody during any election in Nigeria.
The cleric touched on this while speaking on the subject of faith at the church’s headquarters at Faith Faith Tabernacle, Ota, Ogun, less than 24 hours after media platforms claimed that the Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, called the cleric on the eve of the 2023 presidential poll to help instruct Christians in South West Nigeria to vote for him.
Oyedepo, while not directly making reference to the alleged leaked phone conversation between him and Obi, said he never spoke to any group of people on behalf of any politician.
He added that all political parties sought his prayers and advice prior to the election and he availed them.
He said, “Nobody had ever told me what to say in this world. No.
“I have never campaigned for anybody or speak on anybody’s behalf and I will not do that till I go to heaven.
The audio had attracted criticism for Obi, with some of his supporters saying it was doctored.
But in a statement in the wee hours of Sunday, Kenneth Okonkwo, spokesman for Labour Party Presidential Campaign, verified the authenticity but claimed it was taken out of context by critics.
Earlier, Director General of Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Organisation, Balogun Akin Osuntokun, told Daily Trust that he had nothing to say on the matter.
“I have nothing to say on this,” Osuntokun said when contacted over the phone.