Aftermath of Collapsed Marriage: Ooni under Pressure to Remarry
Following the controversial collapse of his marriage to Olori Wuraola Zynab, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi has been under intense pressure to remarry.The pressure, a palace source told this magazine, is mostly coming from Palace chiefs and other custodians of Ile-Ife’s tradition, who are insisting that it is a taboo for a reigning king to be single.
“They keep reminding him (Ooni) every day that ‘aponle o si fun Oba ti ko ni Olori,’ (there is no honour for a king that doesn’t have a queen), therefore urging him to pick a new Queen immediately. But Kabiesi is trying to take his time because he doesn’t want to make the same mistakes again,” a source told our correspondent.
The Ooni’s sisters and close relatives are also said to be worried about the situation, and they are of the opinion that settling down with a new wife would help him recover from the drama and embarrassment created by Wuraola’s absence.
“In fact, people have been introducing different women to him for marriage. Some of his old girlfriends have also resurfaced, trying to make their ways back into his life. But I’m not sure he would make up his mind any time soon,” our source added.
This magazine gathered that one of the factors that led to the breakup of Ooni’s marriage to Wuraola was the fact that they only courted for a few months before the monarch proposed marriage. But he is not ready to make the same error again.
Besides, the sisters of Ooni Ogunwusi never liked Wuraola, and didn’t support her marriage to their brother. “They are convinced that she is a gold digger, who is only interested in the wealth and status of the Ooni. Besides, they claim that she has a dirty past, which the Ooni should not be associated with,” our source squealed.
When Ooni Ogunwusi and Olori Wuraola tied the nuptial knots on 12 March, 2016, there were mixed feelings among those close to the royal couples. While some were happy that at last, the woman that will bore the Ooni a child has arrived, others who hitherto knew Olori Wuraola had doubts on the long lifespan of the marriage.
Doubts over the longevity of the wedding began to surface almost immediately. The relationship had been surrounded by controversies. Olori Wuraola was allegedly married to a Lebanese, Elie Khouri, and she dumped him for the Ooni. Even after her marriage to the Ooni, she was romantically linked with other men.
