Former wife of the Ooni of Ife,
Prophetess Silekunola Naomi Ogunwusi, has ruled out any possibility of
reconciling with the monarch and returning to the palace.
Recall that on Thursday, December
23, Naomi took to her social media handles to announce her break-up with
Oba Ogunwusi.
”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. 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”, she said
In September 2022, the monarch
began picking new wives and has so far picked six women as wives.
In a recent interview
with Punch,
Naomi who is the mother of the crowned prince, Tadenikawo, ruled out going back
to the palace. She said that the monarch now has six strong women in the palace
and believes she is too soft to cope there.
Naomi who recently turned
30 said her experience in the palace was bittersweet and that she will share
the story when God gives her permission to share.
She said she has no regrets
about her failed marriage but has taken all the lessons as they have shaped
her.
On her current relationship
status, Naomi says she is single and a ‘’bride waiting to be dressed”.
Read excerpts from her interview
below
Let’s go to your birthday
message that you posted on your Instagram page. You stated, ‘I gave the devil a
punch right back in its face. Isn’t that grace?’ What do you mean by that?
Yes, I think even the devil knows
that it’s true it got a punch right in the face. You know the devil is actually
not a person as we look at it. The devil is a bunch of evils and when you are
hit in a way that; imagine somebody shoots at you but you have a bulletproof
vest on. Having a bulletproof vest doesn’t mean you won’t have your back on the
ground due to the impact of the hit, but you’re going to bounce right back up,
and the shooter will be wondering how did this person rise again. That’s what I
meant when I said that. You know when you stand up and see your shooter, what
do you do? You shoot right back.
In practical terms, can you
share instances or life experiences of giving the devil a punch?
I’ll speak briefly. There are
certain things that happen in your life that are extremely private; they happen
behind the camera. Because of the way my life has been out there for a couple
of years, people assume that they know everything going on with me. But that’s
a lie; you only know what we put out there. It’s alright even for men to cry.
And you know, somehow, people know that it was a big hit when I announced my
divorce, because it was breaking news all over the place. And the devil must
have thought that it would be the end, but look at me. I am still here right up
in the devil’s face. As I said, the devil is not a personality; the devil is a
bunch of evils. It is huge for someone who is not even up to 30. Because I have
a ministry and all, it is giving me fuel in my lamp and it keeps me going.
Is there anything you will
like to share about life in the palace?
I am hesitant about speaking on
my experiences in the palace. But in my usual way of talking, it was a
bittersweet experience. Details, I will not be sharing, but it was a
bittersweet experience. There were really sweet moments and there were really
bitter moments. It is not yet time to talk about it because some things are
meant to just teach you by yourself. I believe the messages are just for me at
the moment, when God wants to enlarge and expand on it and make it a message
for the whole world, then I will hear his words and talk about it.
Lessons learned are personal and
they have helped in shaping me. I am enjoying 30 so much; 30 makes me really
strong. I am too innocent; I think I entered the palace too innocent and soft,
but life is not like that, you have to be strong, bold and courageous.
How does it feel to produce
the crown prince of Ife?
(Sings a praise song) It feels
beautiful and the greatest miracle I have experienced in three decades of my
life. You can’t take that away from me. Ask me to drop everything; the crown he
has given me, my son is my crown, Ademide. He is not going anywhere; it is a
precious gift, and my shoulder pad is high. I am holding it like a priceless,
untapped, natural resource. I am very excited about it.
I feel very proud and honoured by
God. I still can’t tell what I did; I still can’t tell why God loves me this
much because I tell you, God has to love me to give me that golden child. I am
the golden goose that lays the golden egg. That is how it feels. It is a special
gift. I am still going to talk about that in a few years to come. I can’t get
over the miracle.
Why did you say the child is a
miracle?
The birth of my son, the boy
himself, everything about him is a miracle. I know his father used to tell me
that his children were coming and he said, ‘They chose you.’ He would talk
about that, and I thought it was one of those things that men would say to make
you happy. But, however, for that boy to have chosen me…Take everything from
me, you can’t take away this crown. Don’t call me Olori, call me Ayaba, Iya
Oba. Because how can God choose this little me that does not know anything? I
was a complete novice who did not even have a period calendar. If I go to the
hospital and the doctor asks me, I don’t know what to say.
I am a very small girl with a
very big God that is always on my side. No matter how people feel about me, or
they may think that, oh for some reasons they are aggrieved, their grievances
cannot stand. How can you be angry with Iya Tadenikawo? You have to consider
the crown (laughs).
Do you have any regrets?
Hmm….regrets? You know, even when
people talk about regret, I see it differently. If I say I don’t have regrets,
people will think that I am proud. How can you live 30 years of your life and
after everything you have been through, and you don’t have regrets? But God
makes it hard for me to have any regret because in the midst of the storm, I
feel blessed. There is always something to look up to.
There is this song I used to
sing, ‘Lord, you have been good to me, in all circumstances, in all
circumstances, in all circumstances’. I’m not perfect. The only thing I
should regret is if I were to be God Himself.
The things that you will say I
did wrongly as an under 30-year-old, you, who is 60, can you do them right? If
you were to wear my shoes, can you strut the runway? Can you walk and catwalk
the way I have in these very odd shoes? If you can, then talk about regret to
me. So, I’ve got no regrets.
But for lessons, I’ll say; don’t
be too trusting, don’t see life as black and white. There are many colours to
life. Hold on firmly to God. In my experiences, I have learnt practical faith.
Everything that is standing before you today is a work of faith. My journey has
been the work of faith and endurance.
The things that you expect to
break me cannot break me because for every mistake that I have made, there is
insurance. You can run anyhow if your car has insurance, you will be doing it
anyhow. But if there is no insurance, if you drive anyhow, you will know.
For my life, there is insurance;
for my marriage, there is insurance. Every aspect of my life is insured. I am
that girl whom God has given the grace to eat her cake and have it.
You are out of the palace at
the moment. Are you single and ready to mingle?
It’s a different thing to be
single and it is a different thing to be ready to mingle. But what I can say
for sure is that I am a bride waiting to be dressed up.
Can you clarify that?
You know, ‘Eni ti won gbe iyawo
bo wa ba ko kin garun’. I don’t know how God plans to do it because He is my
event planner. But there is a big event waiting to happen (if you are) talking
about that aspect of my life. Hmmm, you see this queen, it will take a strong
king to get me; I am single.
Is there a possibility of
reconciliation with the Ooni?
I am going to answer that
question with a question. As I have been speaking to you for the past one hour,
do I look like someone who can survive in the midst of six mature and strong
women? No! She is but a soft, strong, gentle woman and I can’t be a square peg
in a round hole.”
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