Renowned Nigerian gospel singer Tope Alabi has spoken publicly for the first time about her past relationship with Lekan Olaoye, the father of her first child, addressing long-standing rumours and criticisms about their history and her family decisions.
In a heartfelt video shared on her Facebook page, the award-winning gospel minister clarified that contrary to popular belief, she was never formally married to Olaoye.
According to her, their relationship lacked any form of traditional or legal recognition, as his family never performed the required marriage rites.
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“I started living with him, feeling there was no point going back to where my family was pressuring me to marry at all costs. Little did I know I had moved from the frying pan to the fire,” she recounted.
Tope Alabi explained that while her father had raised concerns about her living arrangement, he was helpless because the man she was with never formally introduced himself or his family to hers.
“Whenever I visited home, my father would express his concern. He’d say that he hadn’t met the man I was living with nor any of his family members. It took repeated insistence before my so-called partner finally came one night, bringing along work friends,” she said.
She revealed that when her family asked him when his family would come for the official introduction, all he said was, “Okay.” However, that promise, she added, never materialised.
“If that ‘okay’ was ever going to come to pass, perhaps it would have been tomorrow. But tomorrow never came. Now, I don’t even need his ‘okay’ anymore. My dear father, who once longed for it, is no longer here,” she added.
Tope Alabi’s revelation comes months after she was criticised online for not inviting Lekan Olaoye to their daughter Ayomikun’s wedding, and for allegedly changing her daughter’s surname to that of her husband, Soji Alabi, whom she married in November 2000.
Addressing the backlash indirectly, the singer noted that her current husband’s family had done everything properly and honourably.
“While here, he [my father] received a far better ‘okay’ from a good family,” she said, referring to her marriage to Soji Alabi.
She used the opportunity to advise young women to avoid being pressured into relationships or marriages out of fear or desperation, warning that vulnerability can make them easy targets for manipulation.
“Ladies, please listen to me, when a man sees that you are gullible or vulnerable, he can take advantage of you,” she cautioned.
Tope Alabi’s statement has sparked widespread reactions online, with many fans praising her for speaking her truth after years of speculation.
The gospel icon, who rose to fame with songs like “Angeli Mi” and “Ore Ti O Common,” is now celebrated not only for her powerful voice and inspirational lyrics but also for her resilience and transparency in sharing her personal story.
Her marriage to Soji Alabi, a music producer, has since been described as a strong partnership, both professionally and spiritually, with the couple working together to grow her ministry and musical brand.
