Ooni formally receives Queen Opeoluwa Elizabeth {Photos}

 

Arole Oodua Olofin Adimula, Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwui, Ojaja II, The Ooni of Ife has formally received his wife, Olori Opeoluwa Elizabeth Akinmuda in line with customs and traditions of the Ife Kingdom known as a source of the entire Oduduwa race worldwide.

The two-day event which started with the historic arrival of the queen at the Ile-Oodua palace of the Ooni in Ile-Ife at about 8:pm on Friday in the company of her parent, family members, and friends, also continued on Saturday with a brief Thanksgiving service at 11 am and 12 midday inside the banquet room at the palace followed by a 2-hour recess to allow for other rites and subsequently climaxed by the reception party and entertainment of guests at main hall right inside palace lasted the whole day.

FRIDAY: The queen is ushered in by a group of women into the palace after she was received by a retinue of the Ooni’s traditional aides known as ‘Emese Ooni’ who led her to the Sacred “Yemoolu Well” to perform her first assignment as an Ooni’s wife. She was told a brief history of “Yemoolu” a one-time Ooni queen who transformed into the sacred well which has since become mandatory Ooni’s water for drinking and other important uses at the palace.

Having administered the Yemoolu rites on her, the Queen was escorted to the official residence of the Ooni where the waiting Ife high chiefs and Iyalodes led by The Lowa Adimula of Ife, High Chief Adekola Adeyeye rained traditional prayers on her and officially received her into the Ile-Oodua(palace ) before she was handed over by her father to the Olori Agba(most senior wife) in the Ogunwusi Royal family, Olori Margret Ogunwusi who handed her to Olori Mariam flanked by Olori Aderonke Ademiluyi Ogunwusi.

Having been received by her husband, Queen Elizabeth was made to sit beside her husband as the rites continued till about 10 pm before she was finally led to her residence.