Veteran comedian Ali Baba has expressed his support for polygamy, emphasizing that the practice offers both practical and cultural advantages.
In a discussion with media personality Nedu, Ali Baba noted that polygamy can promote stability in marriages, suggesting that having multiple wives encourages cooperation and discourages misbehavior.
He explained: “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. She will calm down because she knows that if she misbehaves, another person is available.”
Referring to traditional customs, Ali Baba mentioned that in certain parts of Nigeria, especially in Ibadan, women historically encouraged their husbands to take additional wives to prevent infidelity and maintain family harmony.
“So there are different reasons for polygamy. I actually know of a woman in Ibadan who encouraged her husband to be polygamist. Most of them back then, I don’t know who wants to doubt this, the women marry a young girl and gift it to the husband. And they do that because they don’t want the man to have concubines,” he added.
The comedian also highlighted cultural practices in which widows were married to their late husband’s brothers, ensuring that their children were properly cared for — framing this as a form of polygamy rooted in duty and protection.
“You have families where when the brother that married the woman dies, and she’s either just a new wife or she has just two children, and they need the children to be taken care of and you don’t want her to go to another family.
“They call all the brothers and say, which of you can take over this girl and take care of her? So if the man already had a wife, that’s the cause of polygamy. And as much as people try to say it is not right, like in your introduction, there are people who say no, it’s not right. The same person would have about like three, four, five children,” he said.
While acknowledging that opinions on the practice vary, Ali Baba maintained that polygamy plays a crucial role in preserving family structures and ensuring responsibilities are upheld within certain communities.
