By Adekunle Sulaimon
In September 2022, the media went agog over the controversy that trailed the marriage of the Ooni of Ife, Adeyeye Ogunwusi (Ojaja II) with his ex-wife, Silekunola Naomi, after she confirmed that her three-year love affair with the first class monarch has ended. The prophetess turned Olori in a statement posted on her verified Instagram handle, said she had tried to make the union work, unfortunately, the monarch’s public identity was at variance with “his true self.”
The fair-skinned ex-queen wrote, “I did my best to endure and make it work. Many times, I smiled through the struggle, but I have finally realised I had just one assignment: my son, and when God is done, He is done. He chose Saul to be king, and when He was done, He told the prophet Samuel I have moved on.” Meanwhile, before Ooni’s marriage to her, he had had a daughter, Adeola Ogunwusi with his ex-wife, Omolara Olatunbosun in 1994.
Following the rumour that Naomi might return to the palace after she celebrated her 30th birthday, she cleared the air with The PUNCH that she had moved on and didn’t want to join the six other Oloris in the palace. This report highlights the six Ooni wives that he married after divorcing Naomi.
1. Olori Mariam
Olori Mariam lost her father at a tender age. She was raised in the home of the former Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar. Not much is known about her parents except that her mother is a retired police officer and an active politician. She is reportedly in her 30s.
2. Elizabeth Opeoluwa Akinmuda
Shortly after his marriage to Mariam, the first-class monarch married Elizabeth Akinmuda in Magodo, Lagos. His chiefs represented him on the day when she was later announced as the monarch’s wife. Olori Elizabeth hails from Ondo State and is said to be a Scotland-based Electronic Data Processor.
3. Olori Tobi Phillips Ogunwusi
She is a graduate of Marine Science from the University of Lagos and a former beauty queen. In 2012, she was crowned the winner of the World Miss University Africa beauty pageant. Olori Tobi is a native of Okitipupa in Ondo State. She worked for the Ooni for over six years before becoming his wife. She is a fashion entrepreneur and a model.
4. Princess Ashley Adegoke
Like his previous marriage, the Ooni was absent at the ceremony. His chiefs, guards and staff were there to represent him. Olori Afolashade is from the Lafogido ruling House of Ile-Ife. She is a chartered accountant with a Master’s in Accounting and Finance from the University of Greenwich. She currently runs her business in the United Kingdom. Olori Afolashade also runs an NGO, the Ashley Adegoke Foundation, which focuses on less privileged children and widows.
5. Princess Ronke Ademiluyi
Born into the royal family, Olori Ronke is the great-granddaughter of the late Ooni Ajagun Ademiluyi. She is a law graduate of West London University. In 2011 she founded Africa Fashion Week London, rated as one of the UK’s most significant annual fashion events that promote and nurture African and African-inspired design talent. In 2014 she set up a sister platform in Nigeria, Africa Fashion Week Nigeria, to enable her to reach out to young African designers from all over the continent who can’t afford the logistics of travelling to London to showcase.
6. Temitope Adesegun
Princess Temitope Adesegun is the last wife of the monarch as of this time. Princess Adesegun has vast experience working in both the public and private sectors. She is also a humanitarian. Princess Adesegun is said to be a divorcee based in Lagos. During the Babatunde Fashola administration, she was the Personal Assistant to the late Secretary to the State Government, Princess Aderenle Adeniran-Ogunsanya.
Originally published at Punch