Associate senior pastor of The Fountain of Life Church Tolu Odukoya has confirmed the end of her marriage, saying her separation was due to circumstances beyond her control.
Pastor Odukoya spoke during an interview with Truthtable, a video shared on her personal YouTube channel on Thursday.
She said, “The first thing is I’ll say I’m separated. Most people don’t know I’m separated, and that has shaped my life. It was circumstances beyond my control,” she said.
The 40-year-old described the end of her marriage as “a death,” noting that between 2021 and 2023 she also experienced the deaths of her stepmother, her father’s twin sister and her father, Pastor Taiwo Odukoya.
“You do not get into a marriage to leave a marriage. In fact, it’s a death in a way. When your marriage is over, it’s a death,” she said.
Speaking further, she said separation does not always mean that either party is bad.
“My ex-husband is a great man, but if God doesn’t ordain you guys to be together and you force-fit yourselves, the likelihood of staying together is very low,” she said.
The mother of three explained that she accepted her pastoral calling despite feeling unqualified at the time.
“When the call came, I told God, ‘You know all the baggage I’m trying to navigate. But if you call me to serve, then maybe you’ve put something in me.’ I just decided to keep my eyes on Jesus,” she said.
Odukoya also spoke about the support she received from her family during that period.
“My siblings are amazing. My dad fought for me. My family encouraged me. That embrace added to my self-esteem and self-worth,” she said.
She advised people not to remain in difficult marriages because of public opinion.
“Don’t die in a place because of what people are going to say. People will talk. People will move on,” she concluded.
Tolu, who is the first daughter of the late Pastors Taiwo and Bimbo Odukoya, married Olumide Ijogun in 2012. The union produced three children.
Her father was the senior pastor of The Fountain of Life Church and died on August 7, 2023, in the United States.
His son, Pastor Jimmy Odukoya, now leads the church alongside Tolu.
