Paul Enenche

Paul Idoko Enenche (born 4 June 1968) is a Nigerian preacher, gospel singer, writer and medical doctor. He is the founder and senior pastor of Dunamis International Gospel Centre one of the largest Pentecostal churches in Nigeria. His church auditorium – the Glory Dome or Glory Sanctuary based in the Lord's Garden, Abuja, is the largest single church auditorium in Africa with 100,000 seat capacity. Enenche is noted for his critical comments on national issues. During the 2023 Nigerian presidential election, he campaigned openly against the Muslim–Muslim presidential and vice presidential ticket of the All progressives Congress ruling party and mobilized electorates to vote for opposition candidate, Peter Obi of the Labour Party.

Background and education

Paul Idoko Enenche, an Idoma tribesman was born in Orokam, Benue State in 1968 to chief D.E (father) and Titi Enewa (mother). His father was a paramount ruler of the Orokam District in the Ogbadibo Local Government Area. Enenche was raised alongside four other siblings including Major General John Enenche a former Nigerian Defence spokesman. He studied medicine at the University of Jos before proceeding to Nigeria Medical School where he earned a license to practice.

Gospel ministry

Upon graduation, Enenche started practicing as a medical doctor but was not satisfied with his medical practice. On 28 May 1996, he went to the mountains in Gana Ropp, Barkin Ladi where he was alone for three days fasting and praying to seek clarification from God on his calling. While on the mountain, his wife Becky (also a medical doctor) who was nursing their first child at the time, also prayed alongside her husband for a confirmation of the calling. At the end of the three days prayer, it became clear to him that he has been called into gospel ministry. Enenche and his wife gave up their medical practice, three bedrooms official quarters given to each of them, salaries and other official benefits to start the ministry.

Dunamis church

On 10 November 1996, Enenche and his wife Becky established Dunamis International Gospel Centre and held their first church service at the Abuja Centre for Arts and Culture for two weeks before moving to Abuja Sheraton Hotel where they worshiped for six months. In June 1997, the churched moved to its permanent site and established branches across Nigeria and in foreign countries.

Glory Dome

On 24 November 2018, Enenche dedicated his church's new headquarters, the Glory Dome (or glory sanctuary). The Glory Dome is a single 100,000 seat capacity church auditorium, considered the largest church auditorium in Africa as of 2023. It is located in the Lord's Garden, Lugbe along Nnamdi Azikiwe International airport road Abuja, Nigeria. Its foundation was laid on 14 September 2014, and construction took four years from 2014 to 2018 with its roof done by Geometrica Incorporated. The Glory Dome has five major entrances, two long galleries and an expansive pulpit. Its yellow-coloured roof spans 228 metres and covers 22,148 square metres – over two hectares (five acres) without an interior column. Other facilities situated on the same grounds include Rose of Sharon Gardens, Still Water Restaurant, Destiny Christian Academy (a Boarding and Day School), Pastors' Quarters and a Water Fountain.

Politics

Enenche is known for using his sermons to criticize politicians and government on national policy issues. In 2018, Enenche in a sermon in his church narrated media reports detailing how the Kaduna State governor Nasir El Rufai summoned Christian chiefs in the state to his office and ordered them to subjugate their chiefdom to emirates - a title used by monarchs or high officeholders in the Muslim world. A first-class Christian monarch, Agom Adara, Maiwada Galadima who was vocal in opposition to the order of the governor was kidnapped along with his wife on his way home from the meeting. After payment of a ransom for the release of the couple, his wife was freed three days later but Maiwada Galadima was brutally murdered despite the ransom. Enenche stated that the killing of the monarch who was the leading voice against the governor's order of subjugation was suspicious and called on the state to investigate and prosecute the killers of the monarch. Video clip of the sermon went viral  but the governor of Kaduna State labelled it inciting sermon and reported Enenche to the Inspector General Police to arrest, investigate and prosecute him.

In the lead up to the 2023 Nigerian presidential election, Enenche was vocal in his criticism of the ruling APC’s same faith (Muslim presidential and Muslim vice presidential) ticket of the party in a country evenly divided between Christians and Muslims and polarized along religious lines. He campaigned vigorously for the opposition candidate Perter Obi of the Labour Party. On 26 February, a day after the presidential election, Enenche in a sermon in his church criticized security agencies for overlooking violence perpetrated in opposition strongholds during voting and called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to be transparent in the collation of results. Enenche then invoked the anger of God to befall anyone who manipulates the results of the election. On 28 February, APC presidential campaign organization spokesman Dele Alake convened a world press conference during which he termed the statement of Enenche a call to anarchy and asked the Department of State Security Service (DSS) and the police to arrest, investigate and prosecute him for hate speech. The call for the arrest of Enenche was opposed by several civil society organizations stating that asking authorities to play by the rule was not an inciting comment.

References

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