Queen Naomi explains why she parted ways with Ooni of Ife

Olori Naomi Silekunola, the wife of Ooni of Ife, said she has parted ways with her husband, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi.

Ooni of Ife married Queen Naomi in October 2020 and described the prophetess as “my beautiful and adorable queen.”

While Ooni of Ife is yet to speak on parting ways with Queen Naomi, she said she could no longer endure the marriage with the monarch chronicled as a “struggle”.

“I, at this moment, announce that I shall no longer be referred to as wife to the Ooni of Ife or as Queen of Ile-Ife but as the Queen of the people and mother of my adorable Prince,” Silekunola said in a Facebook and Instagram post.

“I did my best to endure and make it work; many times, I smiled through the struggle, but I have finally realised I had just one assignment, my son, and when God is done, He is done.”

Queen Naomi, an evangelist, likened her relationship with the monarch to the Bible story of King Saul who was chosen to rule Israelites at a time but seized to be king afterward.

“He (God) chose Saul to be king, and when He was done, He told the prophet, Samuel I have moved on,” Queen Naomi said.

Prior to her marriage to Oba Ogunwusi, Naomi was a prophetess in charge of En-Herald Ministries, an interdenominational Christian ministry based in Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria. She became the monarch’s second bride after his first marriage with Queen Wuraola crashed in 2017.

Her marriage to the monarch came as a surprise to many who have followed her work in ministry, expressing concerns on how a Christian prophetess and the leader of the Yoruba tradition would coexist amid belief differences.

She, however, said the religious concerns were never an issue in her marriage to the Ooni of Ife. Instead, the issues were on the monarch’s public identity.

“Religion was never an issue between us; please refer to my interview on News Central TV,” Queen Naomi said. “Instead, His Majesty has a picture he would love the world to see and perceive him as and another one which is his true self.

“Today I announce the beginning of a new dawn and the close of a chapter. Today, I am a mother to God’s unique gift. I am no longer a slave to my thoughts of perfection.”