The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi Ojaja II has remained silent following the tragic incident involving his ex-wife, Naomi Silekunola.
The former queen is embroiled in a legal battle after a Christmas event she organized in Ibadan resulted in a stampede, claiming the lives of 35 children.
Reasons have emerged about why the Ooni has not publicly supported Naomi during this crisis.
Tade Makinwa, a digital creator and author, who has known Naomi for over 16 years said their strained relationship is a key factor.
Naomi’s decision to end their marriage publicly on social media, which reportedly embarrassed the Ooni, has likely influenced his reluctance to come to her aid.
“I like Naomi, I’ve known her for years, and I don’t judge her for leaving the King. It’s her life and her decision. But no one should expect a man she disgraced publicly to support her publicly,” she wrote.
“No man gets to the position of power, influence, wealth, and success by being a weakling. Any woman who tries to make him look like one will be neglected and treated poorly when she needs him the most, no matter the level of love that may exist or may have existed between them.
“Since the issue of Naomi and the Ibadan stampede happened, I haven’t written anything on my wall about it. However, I sincerely feel pity for her because she’s someone I’ve known right from Akure for over 16 years.
“It’s worth saying that this Christmas giving isn’t a new thing, she’s been doing it for a very long time, even before she got married to the King.
“Since this issue started, one frequent statement I’ve come across on several social media posts and comment sections is why the King hasn’t said anything or come out publicly to fight for her or throw his weight behind her.
“Sorry to say this, but I do not expect the King to do so, and it would be a disgrace for him to even make such a move. I, as a person, and many other wise people, know that the King does not need to say anything publicly to support her or to help the ugly situation,” she maintained.
Makinwa hinged the reasons why she doesn’t expect the Ooni to come to his ex-wife’s defence on the fact that she is no longer his wife as well as the antecedents of their relationship and its dissolution.
“If not for the current state of Yoruba culture, which has been eroded by wokeism, social media attention, and optics, how dare the Queen of the Ooni of Ife dissolve her marriage with him on the internet? How dare you disgrace a god and a deity on the internet?
“In case you don’t know, the Ooni of Ife is the number one citizen of the Yoruba race. He is a god and a deity that should be worshipped. You can share your nakedness with him in private, tap his head in private, and call him whatever name you choose, but you cannot disrespect him in the eyes of the people in the palace, let alone the entire world on the internet.
It would be recalled that the Palace of the Ooni of Ife released a statement recently expressing sympathy to the families of the children whose lives were lost at the funfair
The Palace spokesman said: “While at the Ile Oodua here as a queen, Miss Naomi Silekunola Ogunseyi demonstrated love and care to the children of Ile-Ife through similar events which she executed passionately to give succour to children of indigent parents every December periods like this.”
Makinwa, however, wrote that the fact that the Palace referred to the former Queen as Miss Naomi Ogunseyi for the very first time since she left the palace shows the Palace publicly disassociating itself from her.
“For those who are concerned about whether the King has spoken or not, I’ll say you didn’t pay attention. If you did, you’d know that he already spoke, even if not directly.
“The palace released a statement, and for the very first time since she left the palace referred to her as “Miss Naomi Ogunseyi” even when her name still reads “Queen Ogunwusi” on her social media pages. When you know you’ll still need the name, you wouldn’t have rubbished it on the internet.
“She might have apologized to the King in private, but the King disgraced her in public, just as she did to him. In the statement released, she was addressed as “Miss Naomi Ogunseyi,” her real father’s name.
“You may not think much of it, but that’s the palace publicly disassociating itself from her. That’s the King telling you she’s not his wife, she’s not his responsibility, and her dent should not be rubbed on the palace.
“This is why we always tell people to be very careful about bringing their dirty laundry to wash in public. This is why we kick against using social media to sort out issues related to marriage or other important life matters.
“There are bridges you don’t burn, moves you don’t make, and decisions you don’t take when dealing with a high-net-worth man as a woman,” Makinwa said.
