Twice married and twice out of marriage before meeting the king according to reports. She met the king through a proxy. She was not at any time wooed by the king. Before marriage to the king, Sonia Otiti’s financial stature was huge enough to pay her way into the King’s network. She could be described a courtesan per excellence
Having made money, it would seem Sonia got to understand that political posts lasts only a season, but traditional rulership lasts a lifetime. Getting involved with a man of Ooni ‘s stature is the only thing she needed for a lifetime of perpetual relevance.
On attaining the status of an Olori to the foremost Yoruba throne, Sonia, a ‘big girl’ by all standards, refused to learn the art of court politics and diplomacy going by the fact that her money beauty had earned her all she ever dreamed of in life. Suffice it to say that she was not in the marriage for the purpose of love.
COURT POLITICS AND DIPLOMACY
The palace is a place of diplomacy and politics. For those who are acquainted with the crown and palace life, it is important that any Olori that would be adored for long must play the politics of the palace well. It is long said that the games of the court transcends that of political parties.
An ordinary servant in the palace can rise to a place of relevance and wield more power than an arrogant queen. The palace is that place where power is conferred not commanded. In most Yoruba Palaces, the kings do not interfere with the day to day running of the palace. The Olori would be better to be put in such position but in the case of Sonia, the king is new to the throne, and the Olori is not just new to the throne, but also new to the culture too. She had to be tutored, guided, helped into the culture and status and somehow corrected when wrong by the palace administrators.
THE ADMINISTRATORS
The administrators may be related to the crown or not. Whichever way it is, it is these administrators the new Olori must patronise in such a way that the administrator must not be able to find an ill report of her to report to the king for the administrator reports directly to the crown.
It is when the new Olori who passes all these stages of emergence in the Royal Court and becomes certified OK that she gets the power of running the affairs of the court in her hands. At this stage she gives orders that even the administrators must comply with.
If Sonia found it hard in the palace, it is probable that she did not stoop to conquer.
Antonniete, the wife of the King of France of the 13th Century had to court the attention of even a courtesan who had become the king’s favourite, to climb up the ladder and assume her place in the palace.
More, in the Korean epic story, Empress Ki was a slave, who rose to become a concubine and later an empress. She courted the attention of everyone to rise, and stooped even at the top to get the power.
what am I saying? Marriage to the king does not give automatic power to an Olori who cannot be diplomatic enough to rise. Let me leave that part jare.
A NEW OLORI
To the part that the interests women most- the king got a new Olori.
When signing up as an Olori to an African King, especially a Yoruba first-class one, there is a presumption that one consents to poligamy. Kings are naturally thought to be entitled to as many women as the deem fit, provided they are capable of caring for them. Sonia would be wrong to have left on this ground
LEAVING THE CROWN
Sonia took a French leave. That was poor.
It is her way of life. She feels too free to leave at anytime. This is her 3rd. It is bad for a record.
IN DEFENCE OF THE OONI
Some say Ooni is a serial divorcee. No, I disagree.
The unsaid part of his story is that the Ooni had a child as a young adult, out of wedlock. He was never married to the lady. They went their separate ways. Another lady, with whom he contracted a statutory marriage broke up with him a long time ago. As his first wife, she was mandated by the culture to accompany him to the throne. Even if she was married to some other man, she would leave her husband to perform the act. It is required by culture and tradition. The fact that that lady accompanied him to the throne does not mean she was still married to him.
As for Sonia Otiti, let her do the cleansing rites and return to her trade, after all, the palace life is also a caging one. She needs her freedom. You will soon see her pixels in many colours instead of the mono coloured white apparels that an Olori must wear.
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