Tope Alabi
(This Day) 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.
