Many may say that the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogununwusi, has not been lucky with marriage, but the revered monarch has not given up on love.
On Tuesday, September 6, 2022, he welcomed a new wife, Mariam Anako, into the palace in Ile Ife, Osun State. Anako, who is said to be from Kogi State, was welcomed to the palace amidst melodious singing and playing of traditional music instruments.
She was led into the Ife palace after the completion of certain rites to usher her into her new position as the queen. She was elegantly dressed in a beautiful aso oke piece with gold and silver patterns, as well as regal beads that matched her new status as a queen.
The event was attended by families of the king and that of the queen. The chiefs of the kingdom and close aids of the king were also on hand to welcome the queen.
In pictures that went viral on the Internet, the king could be seen looking at his new wife with affection, while he held her hands affectionately as she knelt down before him.
Prior to her marriage to the Ooni, Queen Mariam was said to be an administrative worker in an oil and gas company.
Recall that this is the first-class Yoruba monarch’s fourth marriage. His marriage to Silekunola Naomi, which produced a son, had ended almost a year ago after they had spent three years together.
Shortly after he ascended the throne, he had married Zaynab Otiti-Obanor, who hails from Edo State. The marriage lasted less than two years and did not produce any fruit.
Before becoming king, he had married one Adebukola Bombata in 2008.
Years before that, he had welcomed a daughter, Adeola, with his former lover, Omolara Olatunbosun, in 1994.
