NIGERIA: Pastor Jimmy Odukoya has fired back at critics condemning his second marriage, declaring that only those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for him have the moral right to judge his personal decisions.
Barely a day after introducing his new wife, Pastor Mo Odukoya, to the congregation of Fountain of Life Church in Ilupeju, Lagos, the senior pastor took to Instagram with a message that appeared to address the growing backlash.
“If you cannot die for me, don’t pressure me. And if you did not die for me, you cannot condemn me,” he wrote, quoting song lyrics.
The post came amid mounting online reactions to his remarriage, particularly questions surrounding the end of his previous marriage to gospel singer Kemi Odukoya, who is still alive.
The controversy followed Odukoya’s announcement on Sunday, November 1, 2026, when he formally presented Mo to the church congregation as the new first lady.
Explaining his decision, the pastor told worshippers that he had been alone since assuming leadership of the church following the death of his father, Pastor Taiwo Odukoya, in 2023.
“Ever since I became a pastor, I have been doing this work of life alone. The Bible said it’s not good,” he reportedly told the congregation, before adding that he had been searching and had found a partner.
He invoked the biblical account of Adam receiving a suitable companion to explain his decision to remarry.
Mo was introduced as “Pastor Mrs Mo Odukoya, my wife. A new first lady.” Pastor Tunde Bakare had earlier officiated a marriage blessing for the couple in the United States. Mo is the daughter of Reverend Theophilus and Bolaji Daniel.
However, the announcement quickly triggered a storm of criticism, with some Christians questioning whether the remarriage was consistent with biblical teachings on the permanence of marriage.
Critics have particularly cited Jesus’ words in Matthew 19:6: “What God has joined together, let no one separate.”
They have also pointed to Mark 10:11–12, where Jesus warns against divorcing a spouse and marrying another, as well as 1 Corinthians 7, where Apostle Paul addresses marriage, separation and remarriage.
For critics, the central issue is not simply that Odukoya has married again, but that his former wife is still alive. Some have argued that pastors, given their spiritual responsibilities and influence, should be held to a high standard in matters of marriage.
But supporters have pushed back, arguing that the circumstances surrounding his first marriage and its separation are private matters that outsiders may not fully understand.
They have also defended his decision to seek companionship, pointing to the biblical declaration in Genesis 2:18 that it is not good for man to be alone.
Odukoya’s latest message has consequently been interpreted as a rejection of the moral authority of those condemning him without knowing the personal circumstances behind his decisions.
Yet his response has done little to extinguish the debate. While some see his remarriage as a personal decision that should not be subjected to public scrutiny, others insist that the biblical standards governing marriage do not change because the individual involved occupies a position of religious leadership.
The controversy has reopened a difficult debate within Nigerian Christian circles: where should the line be drawn between a pastor’s private life, the expectations attached to spiritual leadership and the biblical teachings on divorce and remarriage?
GWG.ng reports that Pastor Jimmy Odukoya’s new wife, identified as Mo Jasyme, was previously married to British-Nigerian music producer Mosadoluwa Adegboye, popularly known as itsMOSA.
She is described as a designer and creative entrepreneur who collaborated with her former husband on creative projects. She has now moved on from the creative industry to becoming a pastor having been named as such by her new husband.
For now, Odukoya appears determined not to allow the criticism to dictate his personal choices. But the questions raised by his second marriage are unlikely to disappear simply because he has challenged his critics to examine their right to condemn him.