The latest wife of the current Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi is Prophetess Morenike Naomi Oluwaseyi but he married two other women before her. His other wives are Adebukola Bombata and Olori Zaynab Otiti Obanor.
The current Ooni of Ife is one of the youngest Obas to ascend the throne of Ile-Ife. He was crowned on 7th December 2015 in succession of the late Oba Okunade Sijuwade to become the traditional and spiritual leader of the Yoruba Kingdom of Ile-Ife. Apart from his glamorous royal life, the Ooni of Ife is also famous for his intriguing personal life, primarily his marriages.
Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi is currently in his third marriage. His first marriage lasted for about eight years before packing up. Enitan quickly moved on to another woman, but that marriage hit the rocks after just one year. He is now married to Prophetess Morenike Naomi Oluwaseyi whom he wedded in October 2018. Interestingly, the third marriage is reportedly battling marital crisis.
The Ooni of Ife Was First Married To Adebukola Bombata
The Ooni’s journey into matrimony began in 2008 with his marriage to Adebukola Bombata. They were married when he was coronated in 2015. However, prior to his ascension to the ancient throne of Ife, rumors of crisis within their marriage had been circulating. Some sources claimed that Olori Adebukola’s failure to give the then prince a son raised concerns within the Ogunwusi household while other sources attributed the crisis in their marriage to a fallout between Olori Adebukola and the Ooni’s first daughter from a previous relationship, Princess Adeola.
It was also speculated that Olori Adebukola did not support her husband’s decision to join the race for the throne as she did not want to be in the limelight. According to sources, she did not feel prepared to take on the traditional duties that would be required of her should he emerge heir apparent to the throne.
Unable to sort out their differences, their marriage hit the rocks shortly after Ooni’s coronation in 2015. The next year, Olori Adebukola returned to the United Kingdom and has since stayed away from the spotlight. Their union lasted for 7 years with no children recorded. Their separation also appears to have been amicable as neither of them has had any ill words to say about the other in public.
The Ooni of Ife’s Second Marriage Was To Zaynab Wuraola Otiti
His majesty, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, settled for a second wife shortly after his first marriage failed and this sparked the rumors that Olori Wuraola was probably one of the reasons his first marriage failed. However, the Ooni was not bothered by the speculations and in March 2016 he proceeded to marry Olori Zaynab Otiti Obanor from the ancient Benin Kingdom.
Olori Wuraola became Ooni’s reigning queen after their marriage. Their union, however, was short-lived as the new Olori wanted out of the marriage almost as soon as she became part of the glitz and glamour of palace life. In 2017, she filed for divorce from His Imperial Majesty, and their divorce was finalized in that same year in August 2017.
As of the time the marriage met its abrupt end, it was barely over a year old and there is no record of children born to the couple.
Prophetess Morenike Naomi Oluwaseyi Is The Third Wife of the Ooni of Ife
With good looks, fame, power, and fortune, the Ooni of Ife seems to always have gorgeous women on the line waiting to marry him. In 2018, he wedded Prophetess Morenike Naomi Oluwaseyi who was in her mid-twenties as of then. The Ooni took to social media to shower praises on his new Queen, describing her as God-fearing and wise.
Their proposed marriage sparked public reactions as followers of the Prophetess did not think it wise for her to marry into such a traditional institution which would require her to perform certain rites that may not be in conformity with her Christian faith. The monarchy also had fears that she may not accept certain aspects of the spiritual cleansing required before she can become the Queen of the great Ile-Ife Kingdom.
Queen Morenike followed her heart and rid all quarters of their fears by not only marrying the Ooni of Ife but also submitted herself for all the traditional rites, including walking on the blood of a slain animal into the palace under public gaze in October 2018. This won her the admiration of the monarchy and criticism from her Christian followers.
Remarkably, their union produced the much-awaited son and heir for the Ooni in 2020. The young Prince Adesoji Aderemi Ogunwusi is believed to be the Ooni’s second child. However, the journey to finally having a son was not an easy one as Olori Naomi explained how being constantly under public scrutiny made conception difficult for her.
Is Olori Naomi Still In The Ooni’s Palace?
With the Ooni of Ife finding himself a God-fearing wife and having a son together, many believed his ill-luck in matrimony had finally come to an end. However, that seems to be far from the truth as the information making rounds online suggests that all is not well with the royal couple who are about to enter into their 4th year of marriage.
Some sources claim that Queen Naomi has in fact left the palace alongside her mother and two sisters. Some of the rumored reasons for the crisis rocking the Ooni’s third marriage include unfulfilled expectations from Queen Naomi and unrevealed discoveries made by the King. Queen Naomi, on her part, has tried to no avail to debunk these rumors on social media. There has also been no official statement to prove that Queen Naomi has left the palace.
How Many Children Does The Ooni of Ife Have?
According to what is gathered, the Ooni of Ife has only 2 children. His first child is Princess Adeola whom he co-parented with ex-girlfriend Omolara Bombata. The couple had her in 1994 in Ibadan when they were still very young. Oba’s second child is Prince Adesoji born from his current union with Queen Naomi.
With regards to Princess Adeola, she has grown into a fine young lady and a well-educated one too. She spent her early years in Ibadan where she completed her basic education at Ronk New Age Nursery and Primary School before later proceeding to Livingstone College and United Missionary Comprehensive College (UMCC). As of now, Princess Adeola is a graduate of Warwick University and the University College, London.