Morning recap: Pastors’ marital woes spark divorce debate, Tinubu mocks Peter Obi, other top stories

Pastor Jimmy Odukoya and his wife, Pastor Mo Odukoya. Credit: The Fountain of Life Church HQ/Facebook.

As the weekend begins, major stories making headlines on PUNCH Online include the divorce debate sparked by failed marriages among prominent pastors, President Bola Tinubu’s criticism of Peter Obi over erosion in Anambra, and the Alaafin of Oyo’s claim to historical pre-eminence in Yorubaland.

Also in the news are a woman’s N7m appeal for keloid treatment and rising loan defaults confronting digital lenders.

Here are five major stories making the headlines.

1. Pastors’ marital woes spark divorce debate

The recent remarriage of the Senior Pastor of The Fountain of Life Church, Jimmy Odukoya, has reignited controversy over divorce among pastors, with religious leaders expressing divergent views on the growing number of failed marriages involving prominent clerics.

Saturday PUNCH gathered that at least eight marriages involving prominent Nigerian pastors, including Chris Oyakhilome, Chris Okotie, Joshua Iginla and Olumide Emmanuel, ended in divorce or separation between 2012 and 2026.

Read the full story here

2. Tinubu mocks Obi over Anambra erosion

President Bola Tinubu on Friday mocked the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, over what he described as the former Anambra State governor’s inability to address the erosion crisis in the state during his tenure.

The President spoke while addressing supporters and members of the All Progressives Congress at a campaign rally in Akwa Ibom State.

Although he did not mention Obi by name, the President said the former governor ran away from tackling erosion in Anambra, whereas he confronted the Atlantic Ocean in Lagos State and tamed it.

Read the full story here

3. Lady battling recurring keloids seeks N7m for surgery, treatment

A 27-year-old lady, Nancy Chidinma, has appealed to Nigerians for financial assistance to undergo surgery and follow-up treatment for a recurrent keloid condition she says has caused her years of severe pain and disrupted her livelihood.

Chidinma, who made the appeal in a post on X through her handle, @EgoKuwait, on Friday, said she had battled the condition since she was two years old, following an improperly performed ear piercing at birth.

She said despite undergoing several surgical removals in public and private hospitals, as well as two years of cryotherapy, the growth had repeatedly returned.

Read the full story here

4. I’m Yoruba’s number one monarch historically — Alaafin

The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Owoade I, has described himself as the number one traditional ruler in Yorubaland, citing the historical significance of the old Oyo Empire and its contributions to Yoruba civilisation.

The monarch, however, said he was not interested in competing with other traditional rulers for supremacy.

Owoade stated this during an interview with broadcaster Edmund Obilo on State Affairs, in a video shared on YouTube on Thursday.

Read the full story here

5. Borrowers drown in debt, loan apps battle defaults

Operators of microfinance banks and digital lending platforms have called for stricter screening of loan applicants and improved sharing of borrowers’ records among lenders to curb rising loan defaults.

The operators said the absence of a reliable system for checking borrowers’ existing debts had allowed some individuals to obtain loans from multiple platforms without repaying previous ones.

This comes as rising living costs are pushing more Nigerians to turn to digital loan applications to pay for food, rent, school fees and medical bills.

Saturday PUNCH gathered that some borrowers face effective charges of up to 50 per cent monthly, further worsening their financial difficulties as they struggle to repay loans obtained to meet basic household needs.

Read the full story here

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