A young couple, Mr. Michael Obinna and Mrs. Rebecca Obinna, whose wedding was abruptly cancelled by the Assemblies of God Church, Okpu 2 in Aba, has finally tied the knot in another church.
NATIONAL POST had earlier reported that the couple’s wedding, scheduled for April 20, 2025, was called off by the local church over the bride’s refusal to sleep at the host pastor’s residence prior to the ceremony.
According to the bride, Rebecca, the ordeal began when her fiancé, a recent convert to the Assemblies of God Church, sought the church’s approval to hold their wedding there. Despite undergoing baptismal classes and fulfilling all stated requirements, they were faced with a series of unexpected and burdensome demands.
Some of these included:
- Spending three nights in the church parsonage before the wedding
- Providing specific food items such as garri, sugar, milk, and coconut for pre-wedding rites
- Submitting to a surprise pregnancy test, despite having previously done so
- Adhering to strict rules about makeup and attire
- Contributing a quarter bag of rice and a live chicken for the pastor and his wife
Despite being a devout Catholic, the groom agreed to comply with many of the requirements in order to honour his bride’s faith and secure the church’s blessing. Yet, last-minute stipulations and what they described as “moving goalposts” continued to emerge.
On the morning of the wedding, amid heavy rainfall and a delayed bridal gown delivery, Rebecca finally arrived at the church—only to be informed by the pastor that the wedding had been cancelled due to her failure to sleep in the church, a requirement the couple said was never properly justified.
Efforts by family members to intervene were unsuccessful. According to a blogger, Promise Uzoma Okoro, a church official even removed the couple’s wedding banner from the premises, signaling the church's final decision.
Undeterred, the couple quickly moved to a nearby church, where they were warmly received and successfully joined in holy matrimony.
“To the glory of God, we were finally joined in holy matrimony,” said Rebecca. “It wasn’t easy, but love won in the end.”
