Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, is a man of many wives and it seems the respected Yoruba royal father is not slowing down anytime soon. When people thought the 81-year-old king was no longer on the market, it emerged that he has taken another wife – a 23-year-old lady.
What is the special thing that attracts young women to an octogenarian? This will ordinarily come to the mind of anyone who has been following Alaafin’s life and times. Although wealth and affluence are major attractions, Social Circuit gathered that there are other things that make the king likable.
According to palace sources, while the Oba places great value on educating women, he is also funny, knowledgeable, witty and caring.
In an interview granted to BBC Yoruba this year, Olori Anoluwapo Adeyemi, one of his young wives, admitted she had never regretted marrying the king regardless of what the public say.
She stated: “I feel being the wife of a king of the Yoruba race is God’s grace and it has helped me a lot. It has also helped me to be well behaved. I have learnt a lot from the mothers I met in the house. I have learnt more about the Yoruba tradition too. Alaafin values education, which explains why all his wives are educated. He believes that once a woman is educated, it is of good to her, the kids and society at large.
“I always pray to God to give me his kind of brain. In Yoruba or English language, he speaks with great wisdom. I am not surprised because he is always in the library. Yes, his face looks hard but if you are close to him, you will know that he is a funny person. When he started making jokes, many people always forget that they are with the king.”
