Ooni marries sixth wife, gives reasons for multiple marriages in two months

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, on Monday tied the knot with Temitope Adesegun, a princess from Ijebu, at a ceremony held in Magodo, Lagos.

With the marital rites, Temitope becomes the sixth wife to marry the Ooni in two months.

The Ooni at a function to mark his 48th birthday and seventh coronation anniversary, according a report by Kemi Filani, a blogger, finally revealed why he had to marry many wives within four weeks.

On October 20, 2022, the 48-year-old Ooni of Ife tied the knot with his fifth wife, Princess Aderonke.

In September this year, the Ooni of Ife welcomed an Ebira-born queen, Mariam Anako, to his palace, nine months after Prophetess Seyi Naomi announced on Instagram her decision to divorce him.

The same month  the monarch wedded Mariam Anako, an oil and gas business mogul, as the second wife.

In October, he married Queen Tobi Phillips and Queen Ashley as the 3rd and 4th wife respectfully.

The Ooni clarified why he married Mariam Anako and the others, saying he tried making some changes but he could not, referring to his decision to keep to only one queen and possibly have concubines.

The monarch said of the traditional heritage of Ile Ife, “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.”