Omega Power Ministries has announced the suspension of its plan to arrange a marriage for Chiemeka Chibuzor, a 21-year-old autistic young woman under the care of the ministry’s founder, Apostle Chibuzor Gift Chinyere, following widespread public criticism of the arrangement.
The announcement was made on the ministry’s Facebook page, where OPM stated that despite receiving more than a thousand applications from interested men, the wedding would not proceed for the time being. “Chiemeka Chibuzor wedding is hereby suspended. More than a thousand applications. No more wedding, pending further directive from me HRM King, Apostle Chibuzor Gift Chinyere,” the statement read.
The plan had been announced earlier this week when Apostle Chibuzor publicly advertised for a husband for Chiemeka, stating that she has autism but can speak and hear well. He outlined requirements for prospective suitors and listed a package of financial benefits, including lifetime financial support, a free house, and a jointly built property, describing the arrangement as being in the interest of Chiemeka’s care, protection, and happiness.
The announcement drew immediate criticism from Nigerians who raised concerns about the ethics of publicly arranging marriages for vulnerable individuals with cognitive disabilities, particularly regarding the question of informed consent. The backlash intensified in the context of a similar arrangement made two weeks earlier, when Apostle Chibuzor facilitated the marriage of his autistic foster son, Aboy Chibuzor, to an older woman who was offered a comparable financial package.
Calls have since been renewed for the nullification of Aboy’s marriage on the grounds that he is non-verbal and requires assistance with basic daily activities, a condition that critics argue makes it impossible for him to have given meaningful consent to the union.
Neither Apostle Chibuzor nor OPM has addressed those calls directly at the time of this report.
