Tobias Sylvester
The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi is set to marry another woman simply identified as Aridunu who will officially be his seventh wife.
Ooni Of Ife To Marry Aridunu
It was gathered that the royal wedding is slated for October 29th, exactly 7 days after his traditional marriage to his sixth wife, Temitope Adesegun, who is a princess from Ijebu land in Ogun State.
While marking his 48th birthday and seventh coronation anniversary, the Ooni explained why he had married six wives within the space of two months.
The monarch said he tried making some changes in the traditional heritage of Ile Ife, but he couldn’t. Maybe referring to his decision to keep to only one queen and have concubines.
“This institution is bigger than me, beyond me. People in this palace are more than 800, they are close to a thousand. There are some people who have been living in this palace for more than 60 years, while some have lived here for more than 80 years old. Some people are over 100 years old in this palace.
“If I had my way, I tried to challenge it but it blew in my face but thank God I’m still alive. It’s an institution that is rich in heritage, culture, and tradition,” he had said.
In September 2022, the Ooni married his first wife, Olori Mariam Anako from Ebira land in Kogi State. Olori Elizabeth Opeoluwa Ogunwusi nee Akinmuda was betrothed to him shortly after his marriage to Mariam.
The monarch married Tobi Phillips as his third wife on Sunday, October 9, before his marriage to Princess Ashley Adegoke four days later.
On Thursday, October 20, Ooni married his fifth wife, Ronke Ademiluyi who is the great-granddaughter of the 48th Ooni of Ife, Ajagun Ademiluyi.
The monarch recently married Ijebu princess, Temitope Adesegun, as his sixth wife on Monday, October 24.
This is however Ooni’s ninth marriage. Before his coronation in 2016, Oba Adeyeye was previously married to Adebukola Bombata in 2008, but the marriage failed after his coronation.
After being crowned, Ooni married Edo-born Zainab-Otiti Obanor in 2016, the union lasted for 17 months before their separation. He then married Naomi Silekunola in 2018.
Ooni’s new marriage is coming ten months after Queen Naomi Silekunola took to social media to announce her separation from the monarch in December 2021.
