Polygamy can keep the peace at home, says Alibaba

Veteran comedian Alibaba has weighed in on the subject of polygamy, arguing that beyond culture, it can serve practical purposes in modern society.

In an interview monitored by R, he explained that multiple marriages, in some contexts, help promote harmony in the home by encouraging cooperation and reducing conflict.

“There are people who believe that if a man has only one wife, he may not be able to manage her properly,” he said. “But when a woman knows there’s another wife in the picture, she calms down because she understands that if she misbehaves, someone else is there.”

Alibaba also drew from historical precedents, citing practices in places like Ibadan where women themselves sometimes facilitated polygamy to prevent infidelity and protect the family structure.

“I know a woman in Ibadan who encouraged her husband to marry another wife,” he recalled. “Back then, many women would find a younger girl and give her to the husband because they didn’t want him keeping concubines.”

He further referenced traditional customs where widows with young children were sometimes married to a late husband’s brother to ensure the children were cared for, a system he described as another socially driven form of polygamy.

While acknowledging that opinions are divided on the issue, Alibaba maintained that polygamy, in certain cultural and social contexts, still functions as a relevant and purposeful institution.