In a recent song release, Funmi Aragbaye, a highly respected gospel artist and current Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Gospel Musician Association of Nigeria, expressed her criticism of Tope Alabi, a popular gospel singer. Aragbaye specifically took issue with Alabi’s use of the phrase “aboru aboye,” which is commonly associated with Ifa worshippers.
Aragbaye voiced her disapproval of Alabi’s actions, suggesting that Alabi considers herself superior to God. This reaction stems from a viral video in which Alabi was seen using phrases associated with Ifa worshippers during a church performance. The video gained significant attention and sparked a debate about the appropriateness of incorporating such terms in gospel music.
During an exclusive phone interview with a journalist, Aragbaye expressed her belief that Alabi holds herself in higher regard than anyone else, including God. Aragbaye mentioned that Alabi is not a member of the Gospel Musician Association of Nigeria (GOMAN) or any other gospel association, and she seemingly considers herself above such affiliations.
Aragbaye also commented on the current state of the country, suggesting that people’s behavior is influenced by the prevailing conditions. She observed that many individuals take God’s mercy for granted and merely pay lip service to their faith without genuine devotion in their hearts.
Aragbaye further claimed that many preachers lack a profound understanding of what they preach and seemingly emerge out of nowhere onto the gospel music scene. She highlighted that renowned gospel artist Pastor Bola Are would share similar sentiments.
Blaming the media for Alabi’s success, Aragbaye asserted that despite her perceived shortcomings, Alabi continues to receive significant promotion from the media over the years.
Efforts made by the reporter to obtain Alabi’s response to Aragbaye’s claims proved unsuccessful, as the popular gospel singer ignored the messages and subsequently blocked the reporter on WhatsApp.
