A single mother, Laide Lanre-Badmus, popularly known as LLB, has allegedly rejected the marriage proposal of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi because she could not afford to share him.
There have been rumours that the 41-year-old mother and the Ooni of Ife have been romantically involved for a while now.
They were alleged to have been so smitten by each other that it was common knowledge to everyone in the palace and outside and it was thought this would end up in marriage, however, she rejected his marriage proposal.
A close source revealed that she rejected the proposal because she can’t afford to share him with other women.
“Laide is a constant face in Ile Ife and there is no one in the palace who doesn’t know ‘Oloori Laide’. Yes, they call her Oloori in the palace and everyone thought Baba (Ooni) would marry her because he really loves her and she doesn’t joke with their affair,” a palace source exclusively revealed to Kemi Ashefon.
“But she refused. She didn’t want the mass wedding for two months to take place between September and October 2022. Not because she didn’t love him (she still does) but because she doesn’t want to share the love of her life with so many women.
Though it wasn’t Ooni’s intention to be polygamous, he couldn’t help it. He was instructed by the gods to marry many wives after Naomi left in December 2021 and he had to adhere to the instruction from the establishment.
“It’s really surprising that she would reject this proposal because they were very close and she was always with him. So many things are involved in this matter and it’s between LLB and the Ooni. They are still in love with each other anyways,” sources close to the couple said.
However, Leggy Damsel as Laide Lanre-Badmus is popularly known within the social circle had previously denied harbouring any romantic feelings towards the Ooni, saying the story is a mere rumour and an imagination of those peddling such an unfounded fable.
She wondered why people always attach unnecessary meaning to close relationships between two opposite sexes.
Laide in a recorded video posted on her Instagram page wondered how people attach unnecessary meaning to any close relationship between two of the opposite sex, saying that though she has known the Ooni for a long time before he became a king, the monarch has been her big brother and now her royal father.
The businesswoman and life coach expert also said the monarch has been of great help to her career, business and private life with no strings attached.
In the one-minute forty-four seconds video, Laide said: “ I woke this morning with so many calls, and messages DMS and I was wondering what could be the problem. Then I checked some of the links that were sent to my DM. I saw that there is this post about me and some other ladies, that are supposed to be Ooni of Ife’s new queens.
No, there is nothing like that. I was surprised because I have known Kabiyesi for a very long time before he became king. Then he was like a big brother to me and of course, ever since he became a king he has been my royal father. He’s been there for me. He has really contributed to my business. He has contributed to my personal life. He has done a whole lot of things for me. He’s been a wonderful father to me. He has introduced me to a lot of people in this country. He has given me jobs. Baba is like that to everyone. But you know because of the kind of society we are in, once there is a close relationship between two opposite sex people just assume what does not exist. They just jump to a conclusion and that is it.
So, I’m here to debunk it that there is nothing like a marriage between Baba and me. And there is nothing like a relationship. Anybody that knows me knows that I’m a lover girl. Trust me, polygamy is not my thing. Baba is wonderful, he is good and fantastic. But am not amongst the harem”.
Born on July 10, 1981, Laide is a graduate of Politics and International Relations from Olabisi Onabanjo University. She is also armed with a diploma in Law from Leads City University.