Comedian Alibaba Defends Polygamy: Claims it Promotes Family Stability

Veteran Nigerian comedian and actor, Atunyota Alleluya Akpobome, known to many as Alibaba, has offered a controversial take on the practice of polygamy, arguing that it serves essential practical and cultural functions in some Nigerian contexts.

Dependable NG reports that the comedian’s comments, made during a recent interview with media personality Nedu, challenged conventional views on monogamy. Alibaba suggested that the presence of multiple wives can, paradoxically, foster cooperation and stability in a home by managing the primary spouse’s behavior. “Some people believe that when you have only one wife, you may not be able to control the wife,” Alibaba stated. “But when she knows there’s another woman in the picture, she will calm down because she knows that once she misbehave, another one is available.”

The actor grounded his argument by referencing traditional practices, recalling instances in old Ibadan where women actively encouraged their husbands to take on additional wives. According to him, this was a strategic move by the first wife to prevent the husband from resorting to keeping concubines outside the home, thereby maintaining family unity and harmony. Furthermore, Alibaba pointed out that polygamy often evolved out of necessity, particularly in cases where a man died, leaving a young wife and small children. In such scenarios, the family might arrange for one of the deceased man’s brothers to take the widow in, ensuring the care and stability of the children—a form of polygamy rooted in familial responsibility. While acknowledging the ethical debates surrounding the practice, Alibaba concluded that despite the controversy, many individuals who argue against it still “end up having children with multiple partners,” suggesting that the practice holds a persistent, albeit sometimes unacknowledged, value in modern society.