Encomium
The wedlock of Ooni of Ife (Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi) and his now estranged Benin wife (Sonia Zaynab Otiti Obanor) is a classic public relations disaster all the way.
From the moment the beautiful Queen was unofficially introduced till the revelations of marital troubles and now, it has been one mismanagement of information after the other.
The most coveted throne has now become a subject of discussion by all as the royal couple are daily battered and subjected to all manners of insinuations.
Here are 9 ways the wedlock of Oonirisa was left to flap hither and thither with no conscious public relations intervention as compiled by encomium.ng:
1. The news of the marriage of the King and Queen was laced with details of a humongous baggage and unfriendly odour.
There was no deliberate and conscious introduction of the Queen, and all sorts of stories hovered around her. From abandoning her Lebanese husband (Elie Khouri) to damaging tales of pregnancy with twins, more unconfirmed tales flooded the media.
And not once was the murkiness cleared by a statement or interview introducing the wife of Oonirisa.
Even the private life of the King is still clouded. From when he was picked to coronation and thereafter, his marital status was unknown.
And the palace didn’t bother to tell us anything about his daughter, his marriage to ‘Bombata’ and what happened to it.
We all saw a beautiful lady being photographed as Ooni’s wife during the coronation in December 2015, but she disappeared as fast as she surfaced.
2. Oracles were introduced as din of uproar deafened.
With unpalatable tales spreading afield about the bride on the eve of the wedding (on Saturday, March 12, 2016), stories leaked that the oracles actually picked Wuraola. And she’s ‘namesake’ of the King’s mother.
But many doubted the oracles, claiming that the bride had nothing to do with the name.
The information released was not even convincingly explained as rumours flew everywhere.
3. No interviews about her past and aspirations.
As it is common with public figures, no interview was arranged for the Queen to clear all the tales hovering around her, and to tell us about the future. None was arranged or implemented after she arrived the palace in March 2016.
The odour hung in the air and was never addressed. Not by an interview or statement.
But the tales could not be wished away as they resurfaced following the marriage crisis.
4. Their separation was mismanaged as the Lagos airport episode showed.
Separated and not on talking terms, the embarrassment at Lagos airport on Saturday, August 12, 2017, where the royal couple shunned each other, should have been anticipated.
When those in the big league separate, they usually issue a joint statement to avert speculations and derision.
But the couple parted on a bad note, and the show at Lagos airport shocked onlookers. And sparked the rumours of marital troubles.
5. The news of the separation was ignored for more than 24 hours and coloured.
It’s unclear who eventually leaked the news of the royal marital mess on Monday, August 14…but both parties were mercilessly battered.
Believed to be from reliable sources, the revelation of the crisis favoured neither party.
And 24 hours later, the palace and the press officer of the Queen still denied the tale. When it was clear that both no longer lived in the same house!
6. Their private worlds were splashed on the internet, sex denial flew and tales of pregnancy and miscarriage crept in.
With silence from the palace and the Queen, and insiders releasing information to favour parties, the internet was decorated with sensational details.
From denial of conjugal rights to pregnancy and miscarriage, we didn’t know what to believe.
7. Then came the news of packing from the palace and seizure of bedroom set.
With the August 19 and 20 packing of the Queen’s ‘belonging’ from the palace, it was a matter of time that the break up would become unmanageable.
And the news of seizure of a bedroom set bought in Lebanon for $25,000 soon leaked.
Thereafter, details became more salacious and unbridled.
8. Official announcement on instagram takes the cake.
As the tales assumed more salacious dimensions with allegations of third parties introduced, the world woke up to Olori Wuraola’s official announcement on her instagram page on Wednesday, August 30.
The well worded announcement addressed a few issues but left us asking for more. Many questions that should leave us in no doubt, clear the air, were ignored.
9. The palace is still silent.
With all the information in the public space and all manners of rumours, the palace is yet to issue any statement addressing in details the issues. ..
