The wives of the late Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, the Olubuse II, by tradition cannot re-marry after the demise of their husband, according to a palace chief.
The chief, who preferred not to be named, said the order was prescribed by the Ife tradition since the Ooni is not considered dead but to have transited to a higher realm.
Maintaining that the Ooni still lives, he said it is forbidden for wives left behind by Oba Sijuwade to re-marry.
He said: “The rules is general and applies to all Ooni that has passed on and not peculiar to the wives of Oba Sijuwade, the immediate past Ooni. There may not be a clearly defined repercussion against the tradition but it is advisable that the order is obeyed at all times and for all generations. The best that can happen to the oloris left behind by any late Ooni is for them to remain single or be inherited by the reigning Ooni.”
He added that it does not matter whether the wives are young or old, “what matters is that the tradition must be sustained in the overall interest of the society.”
The late Ooni’s wives are Oloris Morisola, Ladun, Odunayo, Adedolapo and Linda and their ages are between 40’s and 60’s.
The first wife, Olori Yetunde, the mother of the first son, Prince Adetokubo, died some years ago, long before Oba Sijuwade.
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