General John Enenche has sought to clarify his behavior in denying the #LekkiMassacre while serving as the Director of Defence Information in response to requests for his removal from the Labour Party presidential campaign council.
In a statement issued Friday night, Mr. Enenche, a retired major general, claimed that his actions as a former military spokesman were motivated by the “overriding interest of Nigerians at heart” as evidenced by the pledge of fealty he took while entering the military.
Widespread criticism from supporters who take offense with Mr. Enenche’s intervention in the wake of the Lekki Tollgate incident resulted from his inclusion on the list of a 1,234-member strong campaign council for the Peter Obi-Yusuf Datti presidential campaign for the 2023 elections.
Nigerian military opened fire on unarmed #EndSARS protesters on October 20, 2020, when they gathered at the Lekki Tollgate to call for an end to police brutality, which was primarily carried out by the now-defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad. Many protesters reportedly died after being shot by government officials while kneeling on the ground, singing the national anthem, and displaying the Nigerian flag.
The federal and Lagos governments still deny that any people died as a result of the unnecessary military action. In the midst of the debate, Mr. Enenche also asserted that DJ Switch’s live broadcast of a protester who had been there at the site on that tragic night had been “photoshopped.”
When they learned that Mr. Enenche was being included in the current #EndSARS movement, many of the demonstrators who are now the main forces behind the Peter Obi presidential campaign grew incensed.
However, Mr. Enenche insists that each person who spoke out about the contentious #LekkiMassacre topic did so based on the information that was accessible to them.
Following my appointment to the Labour Party’s campaign council, there were responses on social media to my statement regarding a video taken on October 20, 2020, at the scene of the ENDARS incident at the Lekki toll gate, Mr. Enenche said.
According to their respective analyses and the material they had access to, “everyone who commented in any way was right. Based on the sacred oath of devotion I took while entering the military, I labored both personally and professionally with the best interests of Nigerians at heart. Through social media, I genuinely felt the pain of that breaking news, he continued.
Mr. Obi has already made hints that the party will address the concerns of its supporters and correct all “omissions and erroneous entries.”
However, Mr. Enenche claims that despite his long-standing friendships with Mr. Obi (17 years) and Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed (5 years), his running companion, he did not waver in his support for them.
“I did not back down from my decision to publicly and impartially endorse the candidacies of HE Mr. Peter Obi and Dr. Yusuf Ahmed-Datti. All based on my acquaintance with the pair for roughly 17 years and 5 years, respectively, that they can offer the Nation excellent leadership that will ensure successful followership, he said.