The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, recently opened up about the difficult period in his life following the end of his marriage, revealing that he was mocked after becoming single.
The monarch shared that many people ridiculed him for being a king without a queen, and he felt lonely, often waking up and going to sleep alone.
In a heartfelt moment, Ooni said he turned to God during that time, asking why he was facing such hardship. “I called on God; I asked questions: who did I offend? I never did evil to anyone,” he recalled. He said God reassured him to “put his mind at rest.” Now, the king’s palace is filled with queens.
“When my marriage broke and I became single, many people mocked me and said there is no respect for a king that has no queen. I was sleeping and waking up alone… Look at me today. There are queens everywhere in the palace,” the Ooni shared.
In December 2022, Ooni’s second wife, Olori Naomi, announced the end of their three-year marriage on Instagram, surprising many. Olori Naomi, who is the mother of the crowned Prince, Tadenikawo, recently ruled out the possibility of returning to the palace, citing that the king now has six wives. She reflected on her marriage, saying there were both sweet and bitter moments, and that she has since learned that life is not as simple as she once believed.
Following his split from Olori Naomi, the Ooni married six wives—Olori Mariam, Olori Elizabeth Akinmuda, Olori Tobi Phillips, Olori Ashley, Olori Ronke, and Olori Temitope—within three months. The king has since welcomed three children with his new wives, including twins with Olori Tobi earlier this year and a son with Olori Ashley.
During a recent celebration of his 48th birthday and seventh coronation anniversary, the Ooni explained why he married multiple wives, stating that he tried to make changes but was bound by the traditional heritage of Ile-Ife.
