“Apostle of Marriage” Now Blames Journalists For Low Turnout

Ya’ll remember the frenzy Nigerian Pastor Chris Ojigbani caused in 2010 when he came to Kenya armed with the ‘right knowledge’ for unmarried ladies. Thousands of single and married women alike flocked the KICC to get a taste of the promised blessings; ‘marriage proposal after proposal.’

In 2011, he was back again, this time with a message to the singles. He had the ‘right knowledge for singles’. It is that year that he says the media attacked him with the ‘wrong publicity.’ Little did journalists know that they would bear the brunt of the pastor’s anger two years later.

Well, this year (actually last weekend), Pastor Ojigbani was back in the country again. This time however, the turnout was so low compared to the previous two years and of course there had to be someone to take the blame for that; and who else would it be if not the journalists?

According to the Daily Nation, He accused them of misreporting his previous find-a-husband day of prayer which took place at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre in Nairobi last year. His aides and guards barred Kenyan journalists from attending the sessions at KICC’s main auditorium.

Pastor Ojigbani at Nyayo Stadium last year

“We are in charge of this conference and we will do what we have been instructed to do. We will not allow the press to capture this event,” an aide told journalists. He attributed the low turn to the fact that it was not as heavily advertised as the previous ones. Pastor Ojigbani himself emphasised that journalists were unwelcome at the event by declaring they were causing a distraction at the function.

Unlike in the past when the event was solely organised for single women searching for husbands, this time around, the conference whose theme was ‘the hidden truth of marriage’ was open to married couples.
All those arriving for the event were asked to write down their names, phone numbers and marital status. “Why would the media be interested in anything to do with religion? In Nigeria, no one cares about what a pastor has done or not done. We have not paid you to give us coverage. But if it is for your own good, you have to pay Sh10,000,” the pastor’s aide said.