The Peoples Gazette, a Nigerian news outlet, has stated that it is sticking with its April 1, 2023, publication of an audio conversation between the founder of the Living Faith Church Worldwide, Bishop David Oyedepo, and the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi.
In the audio, which was leaked and published by The Gazette, Obi could be heard telling Oyedepo, before the February 25 presidential election, that the poll was a “religious war.”
Since its release, the audio has garnered widespread criticism throughout the country.
Earlier, Obi had refused to react to the leaked audio.
But on Wednesday, he denied the audio, labelling it as fake and a ploy of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
He also claimed that there was pressure on him to leave the country following the poll.
The former Anambra State governor, who came third in the presidential election, also threatened to press charges for defamation and libel against Peoples Gazette.
In response to Obi’s legal threat, The Gazette’s Deputy Managing Editor, Boladale Adekoya, said that the newspaper stood by its publication.
He pointed out that Obi is attempting to pressure the paper into revealing the source of the leaked audio during the trial, but that they would take every step to safeguard the source.
Adekoya added that the audio clip was sourced and validated before release according to best journalistic practices.
“Finally, we maintain in no uncertain terms that we will uphold the principle of source protection to any length,” he said.
The legal altercation shows the evolving media landscape in Nigeria, where media organisations are supported by law to protect the identity of their sources.
Furthermore, Nigeria’s media organisations have evolved from the old-fashioned methods of news gathering, where journalists were usually easily identified, to modern-day digital channels where information can be sourced and shared through sophisticated means.
It also highlights the importance of reliability in journalism in the face of trial and scrutiny.
