The Nigeria Youths Frontiers and Peace Advocates, a civil society organisation, has strongly frowned at the calls for the arrest of Pastor Paul Enenche of Dunamis International Gospel Centre.
Recall that the spokesperson of the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council, Dele Alake and a chieftain of the party, Fani-Kayode had called for the arrest of Enenche over his comment on the outcome of the Saturday’s presidential election.
Enenche while addressing his congregation on Sunday had urged the Independent National Electoral Commision, INEC, to do the needful and allow the will of the people to prevail.
Reacting, Alake and some civil society groups described Enenche’s comment as inciting and capable of throwing the nation into chaos and that he should be arrested with immediate effect.
However, addressing newsmen at a press conference on Tuesday, the national coordinator of the group, Comrade Innocent Egwu said any attempt to arrest Enenche would be resisted.
The group also advised the federal government to ignore those they described as disgruntled elements, who are interested parties in the election.
He said, “The Nigeria Youths Frontiers and Peace Advocates is a body consisting of Nigerian youths from all walks of life across the 36 states of the federation including the Federal Capital Territory, dedicated to sustainable peace, growth and development of Nigeria through the entrenchment of the tenets of democracy such as a political system for choosing and replacing the government through free and fair elections; the active participation of the people, as citizens, in politics and civic life; and the protection of the human rights of all citizens.
“Our attention has been drawn to a statement by Dele Alake, spokesman of the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council and a shadowy and sponsored group under the nomenclature of Civil Society Organization, Centre for Social and Economic Rights (CSER) calling for the arrest of the Senior Pastor of Dunamis International Gospel Centre, DIGC, Pastor Paul Enenche.
“Alake and CSER had separately accused Pastor Enenche of inciting comments over the collation of the 2023 Presidential and National Assembly elections results in his message on Sunday.
“We find such posturing very worrisome and lacking in any form of objectivity as the claim by the group is false.
“The clergyman while addressing his congregation, like every Nigerian, expressed concern over the outcome of the presidential and National Assembly elections. He pointedly advised INEC to ensure the will of the people prevails.
“This was vindicated when several foreign observer groups including, The International Republican Institute (IRI) and National Democratic Institute (NDI) and Joint Election Observation Mission (IEOM), in their joint preliminary statement issued on Monday, 27 February 2023, declared that the conduct of the Presidential and National Nigeria election was below expectations and that INEC lacks transparency in the entire process.
“Nigeria Youths Frontiers and Peace Advocates does not hold brief for Pastor Enenche, neither have we been mandated to do such, however, as a body that has been in the vanguard of the entrenchment of the tenets of democracy in Nigeria for several years, we find the call for the arrest of Enenche as an insult on the sensibility of Nigerians.
“We have studied the entire electoral process and will make our stand known in no distant time.
“We therefore call on Pastor Enenche not to be distracted by the few voices but continue to stand for the truth which he is known for as any attempt to infringe on his right as a Nigerian will be highly resisted.
“We also advise the federal government not to listen to these few disgruntled elements, who are interested parties in the election as any attempt to arrest Enenche may lead to what they may not be able to handle.”
