Reactions have followed a video of the Ooni of Ife Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi speaking during the opening of his Ojaja University in Osun State.
The institution was launched as part of activities marking the monarch’s 10th coronation anniversary held in Ile-Ife.
In the video circulating online, Oba Ogunwusi addressed his wives who were present at the ceremony.
He recounted comments people made about him before he got married and how he later married “by force by fire.”
He added that people also complained that his wife followed him around, noting that she eventually left him and that he now has seven wives.
“Some of them used to make fun of me that, ‘Kabiyesi why are you single? What is your problem? Go and look for a queen now.’ Eventually I got another queen by force by fire. Then they said, ‘You are always going around with this queen.’ The queen left me. To the glory of God, God blessed me with seven more. Did I not try?” he said.
Three of his wives who attended the event, Olori Folasade, Olori Ronde and Olori Temitope, reacted with cheers and laughter as the king spoke.
The monarch then asked the crowd to applaud them.
However, reactions online have been divided.
Supporters of the ex-queen, who celebrated her birthday months ago, criticised the monarch’s remarks.
They claimed the Ooni still talks about his former wife and suggested she still holds a place in his heart.
Others said the comments were not humorous.
A user wrote, “And none of the seven could match her beauty.”
Another commented, “See what a king is saying. Can you acknowledge your queens without shading the former?”
One person added, “You replaced one woman with seven, and none of them is still a match. Your breakfast was served cold, we know it hurts.”
Another wrote, “Shame! This is not even funny.”
A comment read, “Kabiyesi sir… Shey ki Queen Naomi pada? You clearly can’t get over her.”
Queen Naomi announced her separation from the Ooni in December 2021.
She said the split was not linked to other women but differences between the monarch’s public image and private conduct.
After their separation, Oba Ogunwusi married six wives within one month.
His current wives include Mariam Anako, Elizabeth Akinmuda, Tobi Phillips and Ashley Folasade, among others.
