Photo: Vanguard

Pastor Chris Okotie and his wife.

Following the crash of the high profile marriage between Pastor Chris Okotie and his wife, Stephanie, less than four years after divergent views have been expressed by Nigerians, especially Christians on the development.

While some described the funky preacher's action as part of a man's life some, especially the Christians,condemned it on the ground that apart from being against the ethics of the religion to divorce a wife at will, the pastor announced it on the altar.

A commentator, Ladele Bisi said, "This is really disheartening. I am not trying to judge him because the Bible says I shouldn't. But I would just say that he doesn't seem to have the fruits of the Spirit which is long suffering. What could be the issue that was so irreconcilable that led to the break up?" she queried.

A clergyman, Reverend Godwin Ogbewekon of the Mekadishkem Ministry said, "God hates divorce. It is wrong in the light of God's word."

For Michael Adedapo, the breakup raises question about Okotie's ambition to become Nigeria's president, and pointed out that, "If he cannot manage a mere woman, how can he preside over a country?"

Adedapo observed, "He said he married her for her beauty. So what do you expect? This is not an encouraging way to lead in a church. How would he counsel people with marital problems?"

Abdulkareem Shauibu who saw it from a different perspective argued," If a man says he is no longer marrying a woman again what is wrong with that. He is the one that married her before and now came out and say we can no-longer be together, I don't think he should be crucified ".

Another resident of Lagos who identified himself Samson opined that by divorcing his second wife, Reverend Okotie has not set a good example for those looking up to him, and said the preacher is not qualified to be a worker in any church, much more a pastor.

Mrs. Agnes Amazu blamed the development on lack of biblical understanding of the Book of Revelations which the pastor teaches.

Amazu said "Those things that he taught his congregation were heretical, without any biblical foundation. That he spoke grammar that the congregation needed to look up in the dictionary is not evidence that he was teaching any biblical truth. Rather, it is evidence that his teachings have no biblical foundation, so he needed to confuse the people. Jesus preached in the language of the people such that even unlearned Peter and John understood the message and the message transformed their lives from fishermen to fishers of men".

It would be recalled that on August 7, 2008, Okotie married Stephanie Henshaw, the woman he described as the most beautiful on earth, in a wedding ceremony attended by the crème de la crème of the society.

Okotie's marriage to Stephanie was his second attempt at marital life. He was first married to Tyna his long time friend, but the marriage packed up after 17 years without any child.