Veteran Nigerian comedian Atunyota Akpobome, popularly known as Alibaba, has expressed support for polygamy, saying it helps maintain balance in relationships.
Speaking in an interview with media personality Nedu Wazobia, the 60-year-old entertainer said that some women tend to behave better when they know their husbands have other wives.
He said, “Some people feel if it’s only one wife, you may not be able to control the wife. But if the wife knows that you have more than one, she will calm down because she knows that if she misbehaves, another person is available.”
ALSO READ
Alibaba, who welcomed a set of triplets about a year ago, also noted that some women encourage their husbands to take more wives to stop them from keeping mistresses.
“So there are different reasons for polygamy. I actually know of a woman in Ibadan who encouraged her husband to be a polygamist. Most of them back then marry a young girl and gift her to the husband because they don’t want the man to have concubines,” he added.
He further explained that polygamy sometimes serves as a system of family support, citing situations where a man’s brother assumes responsibility for his late sibling’s wife and children.
“You have families where when the brother that married the woman dies, and she has just two children, they call all the brothers and say which of you can take over this girl and take care of her. If the man already had a wife, that’s the cause of polygamy,” he explained.
Alibaba is widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s pioneering stand-up comedians, with a career spanning over three decades in the entertainment industry.
