Evangelist Tope Alabi is one of the most sought after gospel
artists. Just as her music has enjoyed massive airplay for many years
now she has also gone through a lot of turbulence. City People recently had a mind blowing interview with her
where she spoke about her life, career and why she doesn’t have a
permanent church where she worships. See excerpts

You are one musician that people cannot seem to get enough of, what are you presently working on?
I am having Praise The Almighty Concert. It is a yearly
concert which we started about 7 years ago. This is the 4th year and we
take it to different churches but now we just take hall ourselves and it
is always 3rd Sunday of February. I want people to not only attend but
they should use it.
One of the artists who performed 2 years ago, with name Samose, has
been married for 5 years without a child. She said it that as she is
going on stage, if it was truly God who called her, he should give her
fruit of the womb. She brought the baby last year.
I also use it. Like every last 3 days of every month, my family and
my ministries go to the Mountain just to praise God. It is our normal
routine every month. We just came back from Ori-Oke Ede. We are still
going this month, even my driver, guitarist and crew. God told me he
loves praise and worship so much.
For how long have you been doing this?
Time immemorial. I always visit Ori-Oke to pray. I am created to
worship God. When I am down, I praise God instead of praying. I have so
much turbulence in my life. So much lies have been told about me on the
internet to belittle me, but I quenched the fire through praise. I
told one popular newspaper that I can destroy a whole city with my
praise. I know what David did with praise.

You have been through a lot of tribulations but you always triumph, what is that thing that keeps you strong?
It is God and it has been God. I went to minister at CLAM this
morning and I told the congregation my story. How my father will come to
my room and say “Aiye e O da lati ju yin, ijo wo la aiye e fe da?
(Nothing good is coming from you, when will your life be meaningful)? I
was trying to make it but all my effort was futile. Where I worked, they
told me to stop coming to work. I also joined acting yet I was not used
in a single movie. I acted for 21 years and it was hard. I didn’t make
it. I followed Ishola Ogunsola to schools to sing back stage. Nothing
came out of it. The acting was what I wanted. I didn’t like being in a
musician. God loves me and put me at the right position which was
singing.
Why singing after 21 years in acting?
Alade Aromire called me one day and said you have been in Orire
caucus for years but I don’t know why people don’t like using you in
their films but anytime you sing, people listen to you. He said he will
write a story while I turn it to song. I left his caucus because of
that, I wanted to pursue the acting career. I ran to Yemi my lover and
Yemi used me. I sang “Atolly se o gbo.
I was ready to pay, so that people will use me in their movie. Though
my parents said Wooli came to our house in Mafoluku, Oshodi and they
said, the girl of the family will be used by God. They didn’t say if it
will be singing or preaching. I am the only female in the family and we
were Catholics. I said me I can’t be a Reverend Sister. So my mother
said if you don’t want to be a Sister, let see how God want to use you.
You have been married for how long now?
Seventeen years and still counting. My husband is my partner and my
best friend. God has sustained my marriage this long. He put me there
and sustained it.

How is it like running the crew and your husband as the Manager?
Do you want me to say we don’t fight? Do you also want me to say he
doesn’t do something and I won’t feel like dropping the microphone? I
told him “Ki lo de, you are shouting at us. It has been God. If not God,
the fame would have got into me. I just finished cooking for him now.
How many films have you acted in?
I acted Malomo in “Abiku so ologun de ke.” I am Titi in Remilekun all
Alade Aromire films but the story was not written by me. I did Ija
Ibeji and Ikoko dudu and it was my personal film. I ran at a loss for
both films. I still act but it has to be a Christian drama.
What petty job did you do before you made it?
Aside acting, I hawked raw eggs, rice, and stew, garri before going
to school in Ewutu grammar school. It was in Ibadan that I sold boiled
egg.

We saw the portrait of Bishop Oyedepo as we came into
your sitting room, what is the relationship between Bishop Oyedepo and
Tope Alabi?
Well, I don’t know Bishop Oyedepo personally; I just hear about him
and I love his ministration and teaching. But there was a day Daddy
Oyedepo called me and said I should come and minister in his church. I
got there and after I finished, I just went to sit within the
congregation.
He used his Microphone to call me and spoke to me one on one. I was
like “Can you see? I got to know he is so much in love with my music and
people say I am his covenant daughter without my own knowledge.
I also remember the day Pastor Kunle Ajayi of Redeemed called me that
Daddy said I should come and minister at Redeemed Church, even before I
went through turbulence, I remember Pastor Oladiyun of CLAM called me
and said, God said I should be praying for you for the past 1 years.
That was a year before the problem started. I asked if I could come and
see him, he said I shouldn’t worry. I tried the number and the number
wasn’t going through.
A year after that time, the problem of Ajanaku came. Then I remembered what he said ‘God said I should be praying for you.”
So I had to go to CLAM after the victory and I said, this is the man
of God I can say I am boldly connected with. He told me boldly that God
said I should be praying for you when the turbulence started.
Mummy Adeboye sent me 2 delegates that God said I do not know
anything about this and I should just be calm. They said, they love the
way I didn’t answer any questions or grant any interview.
Just keep praising God. Then Daddy Oyedepo called me and said, just
keep on edifying God as you always do. Those are the words of
encouragement I got from men of God.
Which church do you worship now?
I am a Redeemer, I am CLAM, I am Covenant. I take my ministry to all churches.
Despite the turbulence, what gave you strength?
It is God, I cried a lot. I am a very passionate person and very
emotional. I cried even when God said to me there is no problem, I still
cried.
Let’s talk about your husband, how did he react in the face of the trial?
Let me thank God for the life of my husband. He is a very nice
person. He is my Daddy and my best pal. He stood by me. He likes doing
everything for me.

How did you meet him?
We met in the studio and he loves staying there a lot. I didn’t play
hard to get because he is calm and we were friends for 2 to 3 years
before he asked me out. Thank God I made the right choice. He stayed
with me throughout the trial. (She hugged her husband tight).
Many say you don’t produce your music like you used to do?
I don’t produce unless God tells me to. Sometimes I do twice in a
year. He tells me the titles first and we go through the tracks. I don’t
think on my own. I get inspiration from God and that is why I only
produce every 2 to 3 years.