Alibaba Explains Why He Supports Polygamy
Veteran Nigerian comedian and actor Atunyota Alleluya Akpobome, widely known as Alibaba, has stirred conversations once again with his candid views on polygamy, a topic he believes still holds both practical and cultural significance in today’s society.
During a recent chat with media personality Nedu, Alibaba — one of Nigeria’s most respected entertainment figures — offered a thought-provoking perspective on the often-divisive issue. He argued that, in certain contexts, having multiple wives could actually promote stability within relationships by encouraging cooperation and reducing unnecessary tension among partners.
“Some people believe that when you have only one wife, you may not be able to control her. But when she knows there’s another woman in the picture, she tends to calm down — because she realises that misbehaviour could easily make her lose her place,” Alibaba told PulseNets.
PulseNets learnt that the comedian also referenced traditional marriage customs across parts of Nigeria, noting that polygamy once served as a deliberate mechanism for preserving harmony within homes.
“I know of a woman in Ibadan who actually supported her husband to be a polygamist,” Alibaba recalled. “Back then, some women even went as far as marrying young girls and gifting them to their husbands just to prevent infidelity and ensure peace at home.”
According to insights obtained by PulseNets, Alibaba further highlighted that in many families, polygamy wasn’t always born out of desire but rather out of necessity and responsibility.
“When a man dies and his wife is still young or has small children, the family might ask among the brothers, ‘Who can take care of this woman and her kids?’ That’s also how polygamy evolved in our culture,” he explained.
While acknowledging that polygamy remains a controversial topic in modern Nigeria, Alibaba maintained that the institution continues to hold relevance in specific social and cultural settings.
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“People may say polygamy isn’t right,” he told PulseNets, “but many of those same people still end up having children with multiple partners — which, in itself, is another form of it.”
Alibaba’s remarks have reignited public debate on the evolving perception of polygamy in Nigeria — balancing between tradition, modernity, and morality.
