Ayo Babalola

A  visit Babalola mausoleum

‘Is Ayo Babalola the founder of CAC being  worshipped   ?’

 Efon -Alaaye in Ekiti state is   popular   and called a prayer town where Christians to commune with God   because of the   serene environment and many  Mountains of prayer there. Today, Ayo Babalola’s  faithful worship him at his grave. Taiwo Abiodun visited recently

Efon Alaaye in Ekiti state   is not only popular because of the number of   praying mountains   where  many Christian faithful  go to for spiritual incubation, and special  prayer but it has  also become a tourist centre where the Christ Apostolic Church[CAC] members go to either pray at the grave of the late Ayo Babalola the founder of the church or sleep in the mausoleum believing the spirit of their  late leader would solve their problem..

To most of the  CAC faithful they do  not only go to the grave of their founder to pray, some also  sleep there   while  many bring   kegs of water to  the grave  with the  belief  that  the power of their founder is  still  potent  and could still perform miracles  as he   did when alive. They come for  healing , and solve their problems  through his power as  he did when alive as it was recorded . For the Christ Apostolic Church faithful, the graves of Apostle  Ayo Babalola  and his father, David Rotimi have become  a source of receiving power, healing and   miracles in Efon Alaaye, Ondo- state .

 A visit to the white- painted mausoleum   where   the graves of the  founder  of Christ Apostolic Church[CAC]Apostle  Babalola and his father,  Rotimi  were buried  have become a Mecca of sorts  for its faithful. The faithful do  not only go there to pray at the grave sides alone  but    the graves have been    turned into   tourist attraction  centre  where people visit  to have a glimpse of the graves. But what amazes this reporter is the turning the   grave sites into praying ground believing that the spirit of their founder still live .

On the grave of Ayo   Babalola are the following words engraved on the tombstone; THIS IS TO COMMEMORATE  THE IMMUTABLE WORK, THE  PRICELESS LOVE AND SELFLESS SERVICE TO MANKIND AND EVANGELISATION OF  LATE APOSTLE AYODELE BABALOLA.

BORN IN 1904, CALLED TO GOD’S MINISTRY IN OCTOBER 1928 AND SLEPT IN THE LORD ON SUNDAY26TH JULY 1959

BY APOSTOLIC CHURCH COUNCIL…

Apart from these words , items like kegs of water, bottles of olive oil, bells, Babalola’s  photograph where he was  holding a bell, letters, photographs , Holy Bibles among other things  were placed on the graves. While Babalola’s  father’s grave too had  the following items on the it; key holders , hand prayer bells, batteries ,some bottles,  gaslight  among others.

 The Grave Prayer House Pastor, Pastor Rufus Babatunde Adetayo  heads the mausoleum  and prays for  those who come to  the mausoleum  seeking solutions to their problems.  As this reporter was chatting with Adetayo, about 10 people came into the mausoleum with their  kegs of Oni stream water[of which they called Holy water , said to have been blessed by the  late Babalola ,potent for healing and  miracles]  and before you say Jack Robinson they had knelt down by the graveside  pouring out their minds  making prayer requests .Some  were speaking loudly while others were  gesticulating and with their lips opening and closing praying  thus reminding one of  the Biblical Hanah  in the Bible  . Not only  this some do sleep by the gravesides too, a man was seen lying by the graveside.

 Confused whether the practice  of sleeping and praying by the graveside is  normal or not ? Or  whether     communicating with the dead  is Biblical.

 The  man in charge of the  Grave Prayer House Adetayo, defended the idea and he described the  place as a prayer house and  also  an important place to visit at all times. When  challenged that     bringing oil, water , and other material things to the grave for prayer  is  not  right and unbiblical    , he  declared  that there is nothing wrong in it  and said ‘’ No, I don’t believe that .People come from all places to take from the Oni Holy water of  which the  late Babalola  blessed before he departed , they would bring the water to the grave side here and pray over it .Many people have received miracles and  healings from  all kinds of diseases ‘’, he stressed and added’’ Let me tell you, the power of Babalola is still there. He still communicates with his people so he answers prayers and with a condition , that is if you believe it will be done .You must have faith that it will be done .’’

He cited   examples of the wonders and miracles that had happened   at the grave of the late Babalola , he said ’’ there is a man  of God who was paralysed but  when he came to the grave of Babalola  and prayed he was healed. Spinsters and  who are looking for husbands and the barren looking for the  fruits of the womb do come here  to the  grave to pray and he[Babalola]  answers their prayers , they are many and  I cannot count them on my finger tips .In fact , many prophets and men  of God  do come from Lagos, northern Nigeria, and from outside the country to take from the Oni water  and bring them  to this grave  for prayer.’’, he added with confidence.

Speaking further on the power of the grave , Adetayo said  the olive oil  or water prayed upon at the grave gives  an instant healing , ‘’when you pray on the oil or water which  is placed on the grave , and you take it home and  rub the oil on your body  or drink it, it   would remove  all the curses or bad dream  laced on you and the bad  dreams  will stop, because the spirit of Babalola is  still working and he has  blessed it’’

With all curiosity , this reporter demanded the reason why these  things are placed on the grave still the old  man insisted that  the spirit of Babalola is still alive and in the grave and  still performs wonders like when he was alive, he  added ‘’ there is no  place  in the world during prayer session  where  the name of Jesus is mentioned and Babalola’s name will not be  mentioned. Despite the fact that he is dead , Babalola still speaks from the grave and there is no place or church in the world where Jesus’ name is mentioned without mentioning Babalola’s  name. Those who have  the photograph of Babalola would pray over it and he[Babalola] answers their requests. Those who give birth to Born –to- die-children [abiku], and those whose children die at infancy ,  people suffering from   insanity   do come here to  receive miracles and healing  too. And in fact if a woman falls into labour in the hospital  and  is given the water   that had been prayed  upon   from this grave  she will undoubtedly  have safe delivery   .You can see many photographs placed on the grave, they    are meant to be prayed upon.’’

Thumping his chest, Adetayo claimed that Nigerians  abroad do send their photos  to Babalola’s  grave for prayer request, ’’those  who are in the United States of America, London and many other foreign countries do come here to scoop from the water and bring  it to the grave for prayer while water  from the Oni  stream prayed at the grave side   are sent to them in overseas if they cannot come’

 Babalola’s grave is placed side by side with that of   his father in the same mausoleum, Adetayo said the old man, Rotimi  who died in 1935 while his son, Babalola who too died in 1959 were buried by their  side because the church members  found it honourable to honour them by burying them by their side.

Do people redeem their pledges after receiving healing and miracles? ’’Yes’’, the Babalola Grave Prayer House Pastor replied ‘’ A moslem  was here last year February to pray and when his prayer was answered , he bought that giant generator for us and brought it here   on a Good Friday last year,  [pointing] another had his company collapsed and was instructed by the holy spirit to go to seven mountain and offer prayer, he went did what was instructed and his business was revived , today he is now doing well in Lagos where he assembles wall clocks , he later brought the wall  clock you are seeing on the wall here. 

On how Adetayo became a ‘devotee’ to the  Grave, he said   he was being posted to be in charge, he however spoke on how he  abandoned  his job for the job, according to him he was once a civil servant and  had worked in Ibadan , Akure in Works and Transport Department  until he submitted  himself  to God’s calling. His words’’I was not progressing in the job I was doing as God continued to be telling me to leave the job I was doing and follow him .I was born and bred in the CAC  and I had never turned my back. When I retired in 1993 God asked  me to come and served Him but I did not quickly answer His call and I started having progress  for I want successful in whatever I laid my hands upon , so at last I decided to serve Him and I was posted here  to this Babalola Grave Prayer House’’

What of  Babalola’s children?Are they still alive and what ate they doing ?The Nation enquired, the man of God replied’’ they are alive , one is in Ilesha and she is  the Iya Ijo  while the other woman is a Lady Evangelist ‘’, Adetayo said with total conviction.