Ooni of Ife’s wife is Olori Mariam Ogunwusi, who serves as the queen of Ile-Ife and the royal mother of the people. He is married to five other women, they are Olori Elizabeth Opeoluwa Ogunwusi, Olori Tobi Philips, Ashley Afolashade Adegoke, Ronke Ademiluyi, and Asake Temitope Morenike Adesegun.Â
The 51st Ooni of Ife, Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has had his name stand out repeatedly, not just as one who wears the crown of Ile-Ife, but also for being famous with women. He has officially been married nine times and reportedly has other relationships outside of his marriage. With these come questions such as who is Ooni of Ife’s wife and how his marriages have often come up.
How Many Wives Does Ooni of Ife Have?
The Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has been officially married to nine different women. Out of this number, his first three wives divorced him. He married one wife in September 2022, and five more in October 2022, making it six marriages in the space of two months.
List of Ooni Of Ife’s Wives
Below is a list of the Ooni of Ife’s nine wives.
- Adebukola Bombata
- Zaynab Otiti Obanor
- Olori Moronke Naomi Silekunola
- Olori Mariam Ogunwusi nee Anako
- Olori Elizabeth Opeoluwa Ogunwusi nee Akinmuda
- Olori Tobi Philips
- Princess Ashley Adegoke
- Princess Ronke Ademiluyi
- Princess Temitope Adesegun
Meet Ooni of Ife’s Wives
1. He Was Married to Adebukola Bombata When He Became Ooni
Adebukola Bombata is Ooni’s first wife. After the death of the 50th Ooni Olubuse II, Ooni Adeyeye ascended the throne of Ife in 2015. At the time, he was married to Adebukola Bombata, who was allegedly against his making a move to become the King of Ife.
As such, she would purportedly end their 7 years of marriage after his coronation. Even though Bombata keeps a low profile, there are suggestions that she has since relocated to the United Kingdom.
2. Ooni of Ife married Zaynab Otiti Obanor in 2016
He married Zaynab Otiti Obanor after his first wife left him. When the Ooni of Ife settled in as the King of one of the most respected kingdoms in Nigeria, he decided to marry again. The King tied the knot with Zaynab Otiti Obanor from the ancient city of Benin in 2016. When they were married, Olori Zaynab was known for attending several functions in and out of Nigeria.
One of the most notable events she attended was the “Emerging Women’s Forum” in Maryland. One of the primary reasons it reached the limelight was based on her speech where she mentioned that men and women are not equal and each has a role to play.
This would lead to controversy and attacks from different people, including actress Uche Jombo who addressed that the Ooni may not have spelled the difference between gender roles and gender equality. Nonetheless, the marriage could not live to stand the test of time when it opened itself to divorce only a year after it started in 2017.
It remains shadowy why the marriage ended and if there is any child involved. The divorce between Zaynab and King Adeyeye was not the first of the former queen. She reportedly married and divorced twice, and the divorce from the king of the Yoruba people was her third.
3. Ooni of Ife’s Wife Naomi Silekunola Publicly Ended Their Marriage
Olori Moronke Naomi Silekunola became the third wife after he ended things with Zaynab. A year after he purportedly divorced his second wife, Ooni of Ife settled to be married to a prophetess, founder of EN Heralds Ministry, model, writer, and motivational speaker, Olori Moronke Naomi Silekunola. They became married after the Ooni contacted her, and although there are allegations that it was through another prophetess that they met, Naomi has denied those claims.
There is, however, another story on how they met. According to some sources, the Ooni of Ife’s wife had met the king with the claims that she received a revelation that he was her husband, and to this effect, the 51st Ooni of Ife married her after two months. Again, the 3rd wife of the king denied the allegation.
Naomi became the most famous among the wives Ooni Adeyeye has been married to. She also bore a son, a prince that is said to be among the most important people in the Yoruba kingdom, as a descendant of Oduduwa and the crown Prince of Ile-Ife. In December 2021, she reached out to social media to claim that her marriage may have reached the deep blue sea and was going through a divorce.
Like the public, Ooni reportedly found out that his wife of 3 years was ending their marriage through social media. Questions started to flow about why the Ooni had not been able to stay in the marriage for the 3rd time. With Naomi, she claimed that Ooni Adeyeye Ojaja II had two different identities – one was what he showed the public, and the other was his true self.
However, the palace image-maker, Moses Olafare, claims that the end of a union should be from both spouses and not one. In addition, he claimed that the palace had no prior knowledge regarding the end of the union. Although there has been a denial from the Ife palace over the separation, other claims reached the media that the royal couple had been reunited in the fall of 2021. Nevertheless, Naomi has not withdrawn the separation message from her Instagram as of the early months of 2022.
4. Olori Mariam Anako
Olori Mariam Ogunwusi nee Anako is the 4th wife of Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, the Ooni of Ife. The couple got married in a low-key ceremony on Tuesday, September 6, 2022. Mariam is from the Ebira ethnic group in Kogi State, Nigeria. Before her marriage to the Ooni, she was working as an administrative manager in an oil and gas firm that is also into engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning. Mariam’s parents were based in Ilorin, Kwara state, and she lost her dad at a young age. She was raised in the home of former Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Dikko.
5. Olori Elizabeth Opeoluwa OgunwusiÂ
Olori Elizabeth Opeoluwa Ogunwusi nee Akinmuda is the fifth wife of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi. She is a medical doctor and a successful Scotland-based IT entrepreneur with a specialty in Electronic Data Processing. She hails from Ondo State, Nigeria, and comes from a Christian family background whose parents are said to be strong members of the Mountain of Fire & Miracle ministries.
The thanksgiving ceremony for the marital union between Olori Elizabeth Opeoluwa Ogunwusi nee Akinmuda and the Ooni of Ife took place on Saturday, May 20, 2023. However, she got married to the Ooni on 9th October 2022.
6. Olori Tobi Phillips-Ogunwusi
Olori Tobi Phillips-Ogunwusi is the sixth wife of His Imperial Majesty, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, the Ooni of Ife. She is a native of Okitipupa in Ondo State, Nigeria. She is a successful fashion entrepreneur, model, and 3D artist. She is the owner of QTP Luxury Fashion, a fashion empire that has gained a reputation for its high-quality products and unique designs. She has also won several beauty pageants, including Miss Foundation, Miss MTH 2009 (Madam Tinubu Hall Unilag), Miss Science 2010 (Faculty of Science Unilag), and 1st Runner-Up Miss UNILAG 2010.
7. Princess Ashley Adegoke
Princess Ashley Adegoke is a chartered accountant and founder of an NGO, Ashley Adegoke Foundation. She is also the 7th wife of Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ọjájá II. The traditional wedding ceremony took place on October 14th, 2022 at the Palace of the Ooni and the residence of the bride’s parents.
8. Princess Ronke Ademiluyi
Princess Ronke Ademiluyi is a Nigerian fashion entrepreneur and a British-Nigerian Olori (queen) of the Ife Kingdom. She is the great-granddaughter of the late Ooni Ajagun Ademiluyi, 48th King of the Ile-Ife Kingdom in Southwest Nigeria. She is married to Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, the 51st Ooni of Ife as the eighth wife. She is also the founder of Africa Fashion Week London and Africa Fashion Week Nigeria. She has produced over 20 fashion shows including the ‘Mayor of London’s Africa on the Square’. She is the co-founder of Fashion Future Online Courses in partnership with Henleys Business School UK & Parsons Design School New York.
In addition, she set up the AFWL Mentoring scheme for Black fashion students in the UK in partnership with Northampton University in the United Kingdom. She is the co-author of the ‘African fashion book The Eyes of Originality & Creativity’. She is also the producer of the documentary ‘Ingenious Aso Oke Fabric of Nigeria’. She is the founder of the ‘Adire Oodua Textile Training Hub’ in Ile Ife, South West Nigeria, an indigenous handmade hub that empowers women and youth, and trains them in the vocational skill of Adire making to enable them to earn a sustainable living for themselves.
9. Princess Temitope Adesegun
Princess Temitope Adesegun is the ninth wife of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi. She is the CEO of Hopes Alive Initiatives (HAI), an initiative powered by the House of Odua inspired by the Ooni. She is a princess from Adesegun Ibipe Royal Dynasty of Ago-Iwoye in Ijebu North LG of Ogun State. She has a Diploma in Linguistics, a Diploma in Data Processing, and a BSc in Business Admin, all from the University of Lagos.
She is also a certified alumnus of several universities, including the University of Oxford, United Kingdom; INSEAD Business School, Fontainebleau, France; University of Cambridge, Judge Business School, United Kingdom; and Harvard Kennedy School of Government in the United States. Princess Temitope is a TV Presenter of ‘Health-Wise’ and ran a Health Advocacy Program for the Lagos State Ministry of Health under Governor Raji Fasola aired for four years.
Who Is Ooni of Ife’s New Wife?
Ooni of Ife’s new wife is Asake Temitope Morenike Adesegun who is also the 9th wife of Adeyeye Ogunwusi. They got married in October 24, 2022. She is an Ijebu princess and studied Linguistics at the University of Lagos, where she also obtained a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. Adesegun worked in the private sector as an administrative executive and public relations officer before becoming the personal assistant to Adenrele Adeniran-Ogunsanya, the secretary to the Lagos state government. The traditional wedding ceremony between the couple was held at Magodo phase 2 axis of Lagos state.
Who is Ooni of Ife First Wife?
Ooni of Ife’s first wife is Adebukola Bombata. They got married in 2008, seven years before he ascended the throne on December 7, 2015. It is reported that Bombata was against the Ooni’s decision to join the race for the throne. The couple, however, split after the Ooni’s coronation. She reportedly moved to the United Kingdom after their separation.
Ooni’s 4th Wife
Mariam Anako is the fourth wife of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi. She became his fourth wife after he parted ways with his erstwhile wife, Prophetess Naomi Ogunwusi, in December 2021. The wedding ceremony of the monarch and his fourth wife, Mariam Anako, took place on 6th September 2022.
Ooni of Ife’s Wife Has To Go Through Cleansing Ritual Before Marriage and After Divorce
Getting married to the Yoruba leader, a woman must undergo some traditional cleansing. One among them entails that she walks on the blood of an animal to enter the palace as the queen of Ile-Ife. In this regard, it is not far-fetched that the queens of King Enitan may have gone through the cleansing.
Although Ooni of Ife’s wife, Prophetess Naomi, claimed religion had never been a barrier in their marriage, she may have gone through the blood matching as queen. In the same vein, it is only normal that the marriage of a monarch can come to an end. It is neither a sign of a curse nor taboo, as the media may have claimed.
However, upon this, the Ooni of Ife’s wife has to present herself for spiritual cleansing to take her monarchical rites from her system before marrying another man. It is reported that failure to go through the cleansing after divorce, the man who sleeps with her may die prematurely.
The Ooni Has Been Through Controversies With Women
There Was a Baby Mama Before Becoming Ooni of Ife’s Wife
The Arole Oduduwa, Adeyeye Enitan Ogwunsi, had an affair with Omolara Olatubosun. He was 19 years old in 1994 when he had his first child, a daughter named princess Adeola Aanuolouwapo Ogunwusi. He had the 29-year-old child with another teenager, Omolara Olatubosun.
The Ooni has been accused by his baby mama Olatubosun that the then 19-year old Adeyeye had only seen their daughter for about 5 minutes after her birth before he vanished. When Adeola was 4, he again showed up and never returned until the daughter was 10.
She further claimed that she raised their daughter alone with the help of her mother and siblings. In his defense, the king from the Giesi dynasty claimed to have a bond with his first child amidst other claims that suggest their relationship has been a rosy one.
The father of Omolara Olatubosun also reached the media to counter his daughter’s claim. According to him, the family of Ogunwusi has been noble and has never done anything wrong to his family. In this regard, he didn’t see why his daughter had to drag the Ile-Ife stool as she did.
The Descendant of Oduduwa Has Been Accused of Having Extramarital Affair
Adeyeye may be one of the most controversial kings of Ife as He has been accused of having another relationship outside of his wife. When he married Prophetess Naomi, a lady, Elizabeth Odunalami, came out through social media to claim that she was promised to become the Ooni of Ife’s wife after the failure of his second marriage.
She further claimed that the king used her name to make business transactions worth millions of dollars. However, there are suggestions that the Yoruba monarch’s name may have been used by criminals through social media to get Elizabeth. Another side of this story is that the page may have just been created to tarnish the image of Ooni Adeyeye.
In conclusion, the Ooni of Ife traditionally has the right to marry as many wives as possible. This is evident in the case of the 48th Ooni, Ademuliyi Ajagun, who had more than 47 wives. Although men often marry fewer women in current times, the Ooni may have additional women as wives.
FAQs
Who Are Ooni of Ife’s Wives?
The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, has been married to nine different women. His wives are Adebukola Bombata (divorced), Zaynab Otiti Obanor(divorced), Olori Moronke Naomi Silekunola (divorced), Olori Mariam Ogunwusi nee Anako, Olori Elizabeth Opeoluwa Ogunwusi nee Akinmuda, Olori Tobi Philips, Ashley Afolashade Adegoke, Ronke Ademiluyi, and Asake Temitope Morenike Adesegun.
Who Is Ooni of Ife’s Second Wife?
Zaynab Otiti Obanor was the second wife of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi. She hails from the ancient city of Benin and the couple got married in 2016. However, their marriage was short-lived as they got divorced in 2017. It is unclear if they had any children together.
Who Is Ooni’s 4th Wife?
Mariam Anako is the fourth wife of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi. She became his fourth wife after he parted ways with his erstwhile wife, Prophetess Naomi Ogunwusi, in December 2021. The wedding ceremony of the monarch and his fourth wife, Princess Ashley Adegoke, took place on Friday, October 15, 2022.