The first wife of Oba Saheed Elegushi, Elegushi of Ikate land, Olori Sekinat Elegushi, has recounted how her husband’s decision to marry a second wife, Hadiza Yakasai, in May 2019 broke her emotionally.

Oba Elegushi married Sekinat in 2003, and they have three daughters together.

Olori Sekinat told Kemi Ashefon in an interview that she found out about her husband’s second wife when her mother died. Despite this, she stated that she was still dealing with the fact that the man she loved was marrying someone else.

The queen had voiced concerns when her husband was selected for the throne that he would take a second wife.

Olori Sekinat recalled meeting the king as a student at her late mother’s shop on Lagos Island, but he did not tell her anything about is royal status, she claimed.

In her words:

I didn’t marry a king, I married a young man, who I love, and we were growing together managing and planning. It was hard then, but I realized that some of these things come with the demands and pressure of the throne.

Why then continue to worry about it? The moment he became a king, I knew issues like this would come up, but I have to support and stand by him.

Part of my fear was that he would take another wife. Then, I was pregnant with our third child. When he was crowned, I returned from abroad early with the baby to be with him for the coronation and other rites.

Initially, it was a bit challenging as there were many demands, which I wasn’t used to, but since I was familiar with some of the palace procedures and the people there, we were able to settle down.