OPM Takes Sudden Decision on Apostle Chibuzor’s Autistic Daughter’s Wedding After Public Reactions
- Apostle Chibuzor and his church, OPM, have officially suspended the marriage plans of his 21-year-old autistic daughter, after the unusual proposal sparked heated debates online
- The clergyman had promised any young man who married his daughter a lifetime of financial support, leading to over 1,000 applications from men seeking a better life
- Despite the massive interest from potential grooms, a wave of public criticism and warnings from concerned citizens forced the church to halt the process
- In a chat with Legit.ng, a social commentator reacted to the suspension of the controversial wedding plans for Apostle Chibuzor's autistic daughter
Many Nigerians were expecting another grand OPM wedding after hundreds of men showed interest in marrying the Apostle’s autistic daughter.
However, the church has now suspended the marriage plans following a massive wave of public outrage across social media platforms.
Source: Instagram
The founder of Omega Power Ministry (OPM), Apostle Chibuzor Gift Chinyere, previously invited young men to marry his adopted autistic daughter, Chiemeka Chibuzor.
He promised many juicy benefits to whoever would eventually marry the girl. These rewards included lifetime financial support and a free house for the happy couple involved.
Many critics felt the arrangement was wrong because Chiemeka is vulnerable and might not give proper consent after seeing how the Apostle's adopted son was married off weeks ago.
They pointed to the recent marriage of his autistic son, Aboy, to an older woman, a mother of three children.
People argued that such unions look more like financial transactions than genuine lifelong commitments between two adults who truly love and respect each other.
Despite the heavy criticism, over a thousand men showed interest in the offer to secure their own financial breakthrough.
Many flooded the comment section begging for a chance to care for the young lady, while many more applied via DM.
The wedding is now off pending a new directive from the Apostle, as the church announced on their social media platforms, including Facebook and Instagram.
"Chiemeka Chibuzor wedding is hereby suspended.
More than a thousand applications.
No more wedding, Pending further directive from me HRM King, Apostle Chibuzor Gift Chinyere."
Below is the announcement made by OPM:
Marrying off vulnerable people for money is wrong – Commentator
In a chat with Legit.ng, a social commentator who requested anonymity shared thoughts on the controversial development.
He stated:
"Suspending this wedding is the best thing OPM has done, and honestly, they should just cancel it completely. Marrying off an autistic person who cannot properly give her own consent is a violation of her human rights, and it is both legally and morally wrong. Offering a vulnerable person in a marriage based on financial rewards crosses a very big line; it almost feels like commodifying the person. We all know that the thousands of men showing interest only did so because of the free house and financial gains, not because they genuinely care about the young lady. People had this same genuine concern when he married off his autistic adopted son recently. If a man truly loves her and wants to marry her without any financial promises attached, then that would be a completely different story."
Nigerians react to OPM wedding suspension
Legit.ng compiled the reactions of netizens below:
@1stdate_fashionconcepts:
“please is this man doing his assignment or what ? why are they all autism ? iriri ha Eri ko nnu ?”
@sassygem_1:
“So men are actually shooting their shots for the same thing they were all bashing that woman for doing .that's why they said "NEVER YOU SAY NEVER"..."
@tessykay:
“Wrong thing to do Sir. Women have compassion, it may have worked for the boy, but trust me, this won't work for the girl child. Even healthy normal women are suffering in marriage, not to talk more of giving an autistic child out for it. Ahhh I pity this girl sha. I feel so sad for her”
@officialdoreen23:
“@officialnaptipnigeria @npf_nccc you need to investigate the atrocities this so called man of God is doing to Vulnerable children.”
Source: Instagram
Lawyer warns Apostle Chibuzor over marriage offers
In a previous report, Legit.ng disclosed that a lawyer identified as Awele Ideal wrote to Apostle Chibuzor regarding his decision. The lawyer warned that marrying off an autistic person is a complex legal and ethical matter.
She explained that if a person cannot understand or consent to marriage, Nigerian law may regard the union as invalid.
The lawyer noted that using financial incentives to lure people into such marriages could be interpreted as exploitation under the law.
Source: Legit.ng
