Ooni of Ife’s senior wife Olori Mariam celebrates birthday

Ooni and new wife Mariam Anako

Olori Mariam Anako, senior wife of the Ooni of Ife Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi celebrated her birthday on Friday, January 13.

Mariam, who is an oil and gas executive, clocked a year older months after her marriage to the first-class monarch.

Her birthday was announced on social media by one of the Ooni’s aides Prince Olayinka Awosunle.

Awosunle, who also serves as the king’s official photographer, shared photos of the queen with the caption: “Happy birthday to a very amicable, magnificent and magnanimous Olori of the Source!!!”

Social media users took to the comment section of the post to celebrate the queen.

A lady identified as Olusola wrote: “Happy birthday Olori. Wishing you more fruitful years filled with happiness and sounds mind.”

Michael Fatugbiyele wrote: “Happy birthday Yeyeluwa.”

Mariam Anako held a traditional marriage ceremony with Ooni Adeyeye at the Ife palace on September 7, 2022. She was welcomed to the palace the night before.

After his marriage to the Ebira queen, the King went on to get married to five other ladies.

The other wives of the Ooni include Elizabeth Akinmuda, Tobi Phillips, Ashley Adegoke, Ronke Ademiluyi and Temitope Adesegun.

Long before he became king, Ogunwusi had a short-lived teenage romance with Omolara Olatunbosun who bore a child Adeola Anuoluwapo, for him in 1994.

He got married to Adebukola Bombata in 2008 but the union ended before he ascended the throne in 2015.

His marriage to Zaynab Otiti, a Bini princess, in March 2016 failed due to irreconcilable differences.

Ooni married Naomi in October 2018. But three years later, just before Christmas, she announced her separation from the Ooni.

Their union produced a son, Prince Tadenikawo, who celebrated his first birthday in November 2021, a month before Naomi left the palace.