Why the widows of the Ooni of Ife may never remarry

According to a chief of the Ife kingdom, the wives of the late‎ Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, the Olubuse II, cannot remarry, due to tradition.

The late Ooni’s wives are Oloris Morisola, Ladun, Odunayo, Adedolapo and Linda.

The palace chief, who spoke anonymously to the The Nation, stated that after the death of their husband, the wives are not expected to remarry, as it is forbidden.

The chief said that according to Ife tradition, the Ooni is not considered dead but to have transited to a higher realm.

He was quoted to have 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.”

Speaking further, the chief said that the tradition does not respect the age of the wives, saying that: “what matters is that the tradition must be sustained in the overall interest of the society.”