TOPE ALABI
Sometime in November last year, it became apparent that top gospel
singer, Tope Alabi was no longer forthcoming with her civic bits at the
Christ Revival Victory Chapel led by Prophet Ireti Ajanaku. So yummy and
chummy was the bond that existed between the duo. Their paths crossed
about 12 eventful years ago and the singer even did a song in praise of
Ajanaku titled ‘God of Iretiola Elijah Ajanaku’ to the envy of other
clerics. But what seemed a whirlwind of insinuations had been confirmed
by the prophet after a church service at his Ipaja-Lagos headquarters
last Sunday. Prior to this time, the prophet had claimed that Alabi was
still his spiritual daughter while Alabi also maintained the same stance
with what she shared with the press. There was somewhat a glimmer of
hope that their difference was still reconcilable after all. But bubble
burst last Sunday as the prophet renounced all that ever bonded them.
It roused the church as the prophet spilled the beans. “For 12 solid
years, I fathered Tope Alabi spiritually and she sang about me and my
God not because I ever asked her to do so. She was Toyin when I met her,
I rechristened her Tope because that was the name my God ordained for
her. Her travails disappeared because my God is true and faithful. She
became almost an instant star flying local and international for shows.
And I blessed God for who He is. So, Tope wasn’t advertising me, she was
dazzled by the God of Ajanaku that raised her from travails to many
triumphs”, he thundered. And when SBF reached out to Alabi over the
phone, her husband, Soji who doubles as her manager declined to
comment.“As far as this matter is concerned, my wife and I have decided
to remain silent.” So, we proceeded to talk to the prophet. Is it true
that he is at war with Tope Alabi? And he replied: “I’m not at war with
her and I don’t go to war against anyone.
Tope Alabi feared the God I serve and she had great respect for Him,
but her problem is that she doesn’t listen to sermons that should keep
the power working for her continually. Please remind me how many singers
have praise-sung the God of his/her pastor for that long. Yes, God is
in the life of Pastor Enoch Adeboye, same with Pastor David Oyedepo and
many others around the world. But there’s no singer who will dedicate
herself that much except she encounters one almighty power in the life
of such pastor. But as much as Tope Alabi praises the God of Elijah
Iretiola Ajanaku, it has never positively affected my ministry.
If she had followers in this ministry, most of them would have gone
with her when she left. Hard as it may sound to you, Tope has never
thought of ever appreciating me with her substance. Let people ask if
she’d ever thought ‘let me give my pastor N100,000 to buy foodstuffs,.
I’d never asked Tope to quit the church of God. Is it good for someone
of Tope’s pedigree to leave a church and we cannot tell that this is the
drum, guitar or saxophone she bought for the ministry? If Tope didn’t
do all these, how can I miss her? I don’t miss her and I don’t pray she
returns to me. During the crossover service on December 31, 2012,
there’s something I’ve always told her that she refused to heed; I made
her know God has shown her mercy enough to remain steadfast. You plan
your shows and have the right to alter it at will, why do you include
Sundays? Find a week or two in a month to attend the church service as
long as you’re in Nigeria. I told her it was an order as long as she
remained my daughter, but if she dares me, never will I ever give her
such counsel or invite her for any function in my ministry
. I asked her to start the Sunday after. She refused to show up in
church until the cross-over service she attended with her husband. She
didn’t sit where she had always sat near the singers. She hid herself
and when I made the altar call for artistes in the church, she rebuffed
and when some stewards approached her, she claimed she was tired. That
particular night was when I met the 18-year-old girl, Ifemide. She had
never sung before me. I didn’t even know she could sing. I just spotted
her and dragged her to the pulpit and said that someone is losing her
divine place today and another person is taking the place. I told the
church that by the power of God, I replace someone with this girl.”
Ifemide, the new kid on the bloc is already having shows and singing
gospel enchantingly as she heaps praises on the God of Ajanaku like Tope
once did.
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