Shockwaves are reverberating across Yorùbáland and the global Yorùbá diaspora following the sudden death of the Baba Ọba (King’s Father) of the famed Oyotunji African Village in South Carolina, USA. The late Baba Ọba, Lukman Arohunfale, a revered socialite and traditionalist, passed away under circumstances already sparking fierce controversy. His death comes just days after he publicly accused the newly installed Alaafin of Oyo, His Imperial Majesty Oba Akeem Adéyẹmọ Owoade, of allegedly ordering his courtiers to beat him mercilessly during a recent courtesy visit to the Oyo palace in Nigeria. In a widely circulated voice recording, the deceased recounted how what was meant to be a simple homage turned violent. Although the Baba Ọba had reportedly battled ill health in the past year, growing insinuations suggest that the alleged physical assault may have aggravated his condition, ultimately leading to his untimely death. The palace in Oyo recently denied that s...
I can swear Olori Ajoke didn’t have an affair with KWAM 1 – Wife of Alaafin of Oyo, Olori Folashade Adeyemi says
Olori Folashade Adeyemi, one of the wives of 81-year-old Alaafin of Oyo, says she can authoritatively state that her fellow queen, Olori Ajoke, never had an affair with fuji musician, K1 de Ultimate, also known as KWAM 1. In April this year, rumors were rife online that Olori Ajoke who is said to be the wife of the 81-year-old monarch, was sent packing from the palace over her alleged affair with the music maestro. The Musician and the Olori came out to deny the allegation. KWAM in an interview said it was even a taboo to harbor such a thought let alone acting on it. In an interview with the Nation, Olori Folashade said she can "swear with her life" that her fellow queen never had such an affair. ''The incident was quite unfortunate. All those things that you heard were mere fabrications. Such a thing never happened. They were all lies. The story really made all of us sad when it broke, because we knew that such a thing never happened. Unknown to many, KWAM 1 is well known in the palace. He takes us as his mothers. He treats us with respect. I can swear that such a thing never happened.'' she said. Olori Folashade went down memory lane on how she met the monarch when she was 25 years old. ''I met him for the first time when I was on an excursion to the palace. During the excursion, I asked him so many questions. Probably that was where he took interest in me. I requested to have an interview with him to know more and develop the project I was working on. I was just 25 years old then. We became familiar and he later proposed marriage.'' she said:When asked what attracted her to the monarch when they started dating and ended up getting married, she said: He is wise and intelligent. Most times when he is not in the office or attending to visitors, he is in the library reading. He reads a lot and encourages us to read too. At times he would tell you to look for the meaning of a word; you will be surprised that he would tell you the meaning of that word as it is written in the dictionary or on Google. He is such a wonderful man. His depth of knowledge is unrivaled. He is also a unique Yoruba monarch. He is popular and brilliant, and there is no place he cannot go as a Yoruba oba. Alaafin is the first among the Yoruba obas. The way he does his things are different.''
Olori Folashade described the monarch as a very romantic man. Kabiyesi is very romantic. If you are not close to him, you won’t know that he is loving and kind. At times when I’m in the kitchen, he would come and offer to assist. While at the college, he would dish food for me and instruct the driver to bring it to school. The difference in our age gap has not stopped him from showing affection. He shows affection more than some of these young men you see outside there. What a young man can do out there, Kabiyesi does better. She said she was afraid when she moved into his home as his wife. ''Yes, I was afraid. You know I was coming from a different background to join others. I didn’t know what I was going to meet or how others would react, and so many other questions were raging in my mind. But when I got into the palace, I discovered that my fears were unnecessary. The ayabas (queens) were very good to me. I got a warm reception. They taught me palace ethics, how to dress, how to combine colours, the rules and regulations of the palace and tradition. The ayabas were wonderful and friendly.'' The mum of a set of triplets recounted the joy she had when she welcomed her babies. According to her, she is the first queen to give birth to triplets in Yoruba land.''Before giving birth to the triplets, I faced a lot of challenges. I waited for three years before they came. Their birth was significant for many reasons. First, while looking up to God for children to come, I went to hajj in 2008 and prayed to God to give me twins, but in answering my prayer, He gave me triplets. Kabiyesi prefers that his wives give birth early. So, the three years I had waited, Allah compensated me with three children. Even if there was no delay, I couldn’t have had more than three children in those three years. Secondly, I’m also the first queen in Yoruba land to give birth to triplets. Go and check history. I don’t know if any other wife of a Yoruba king will give birth to four tomorrow, but I’ve set a record. I know several wives of Yoruba monarchs with twins, but not triplets.'' she said