CAC Pastor asks court to end his 32-year-old marriage

A 62-year-old man, Pastor Emmanuel Ojo, on Friday begged an Akure Chief Customary Court to put an end to the 32-year-old marriage between him and his wife, Victoria.

The pastor had filed a divorce petition against his 56-year-old wife praying the court to dissolve the marriage.

Ojo told the court that his wife had abandoned her matrimonial home since 2010, adding that there was no more love between them.

The Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) pastor complained that his wife was too quarrelsome, and was in the habit of raining curses on him whenever there were disagreements between them.

He told the court that because of her behaviour, he had attempted suicide three times in the past, adding that he was tired of her as she was too hot tempered.

The marriage is blessed with four children, Oluwaseyi Ojo, 32, Bankole Ojo, 30, Ayotunde Ojo, 27 and a Oluwabanke Ojo, 24.

Ojo told the court how he used to prostrate for his wife and beg her just for peace to reign in the house anytime she started fighting him.

According to the pastor, his wife’s behaviour had affected his pastoral duties and had caused him to break the vow he made with God.

He said he had vowed before God not to have any affairs with another woman, but since his wife had abandoned him he had broken the vow.

Ojo lamented that since he cannot continue to live alone, cook for himself and nobody to care for him when he was ill; he had to take another wife.

The pastor said that as a servant of God, he would not accept his wife back even if she wished to return because he could not have two wives.

In her defence Victoria said that her husband had been very unfaithful to her since their marriage.

She said that her husband never told her he had other children outside the marriage, adding that her husband deceived her for close to 20 years before she knew the truth.

Victoria told the court that unknown to her, the pastor already had two wives before they were married, adding that each time she inquired about the wives and the children, he always denied it.

She said her husband never gave her any money for toiletries, adding that she never complained as she endured it because she was convinced of a better tomorrow.

She said that before she married her husband, he was a socialite, who could finish a carton of beer at a sitting, adding that she went into serious fasting and prayers before he could stop drinking.

Victoria, who said she loved her husband then, added that the pastor was too secretive and never discussed any issue with her.

She told the court that she gave her husband N50,000 when he started his church project, and said that she had incurred a lot of debt because of his actions.

She prayed the court to dissolve the marriage for the two of them to go their separate ways.

President of the court, Chief Joshua Omofaye, later adjourned the matter to Oct. 11, for judgment. (NAN)