Renowned Nigerian gospel singer, Tope Alabi, has finally spoken out about the controversy surrounding her alleged first marriage to the father of her first child.
Reports had earlier linked Alabi to Lekan Olaoye, with whom she had a daughter, Ayomikun. After their separation, the singer went on to marry Soji Alabi in November 2000, and their union has since been blessed with two children.
A few months ago, Tope Alabi came under heavy criticism on social media after she was accused of excluding her ex-partner, Olaoye, from their daughter’s wedding and changing Ayomikun’s surname to that of her current husband.
In a recent video shared on her Facebook page, Alabi clarified the situation, explaining that her former partner never took the necessary steps to make their relationship official.
According to her, Olaoye never introduced his family to hers, nor did he perform any traditional marriage rites.
She said: “I started living with him, thinking there was no need to return home where my family kept pressuring me to get married. I didn’t realize I had moved from the frying pan into the fire. Whenever I visited home, my father would express his concern.
“He couldn’t tell me outright to stop living with the man, but he often said he hadn’t met the man or any of his family members. After much insistence, my so-called partner eventually came one night, bringing only a few of his work friends.
“When my family asked when his family would come for the introduction, he simply said, ‘Okay’. That ‘okay’ never came to pass. If it was ever going to happen, maybe it would have been tomorrow, but tomorrow never came.
“Now, I don’t even need his ‘okay’ anymore. My dear father, who once waited for it, is no longer here. Thankfully, before he died, he received a proper ‘okay’ from a good family.”
Alabi ended her message with advice to young women, warning them not to allow men take advantage of their vulnerability.
“Ladies, please listen to me, when a man notices that you’re gullible or desperate, he can easily take advantage of you,” she cautioned.
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