Men who refuse polygamy contribute to immorality in society - Ned Nwoko

Former Nigerian lawmaker Ned Nwoko may not be vocal on social issues, but he has some controversial views.

The lawyer and philanthropist, who is married to Nollywood actress Regina Daniels, has expressed concern about the moral decay of Nigerian society.

In an interview with The Guardian Nigeria, Mr Nwoko, who is running for senatorial elections in the Northern Delta, said that by refusing to marry more than one wife, men, especially those from southern Nigeria , push women into prostitution.

According to him, many women are alone without a husband, especially in the south of the country, a factor which he says leads to prostitution.

"What some of our girls are doing to make ends meet is unfortunate, and if our men emulate their northern counterparts by having more than one wife, that could probably change the situation.

"The average Southerner can have only one wife, but also several girlfriends, and he spends his money on girlfriends, sometimes even more than on his wife.

"The man who has three wives, every money he earns is spent on the family, and he is unlikely to have girlfriends or concubines. The money that those who have several girlfriends spend on them is a gift, it is not an investment in the family."

Demographic implications

According to the former member of the House of Representatives, those who complain that the North is more populated than the South have no reason to complain.

He said that southerners give birth to an average of four children, while a northern man, with at least four wives, gives birth to an average of 20 children.

"Thus, the south may never catch up with the north in terms of population. It is wrong to count cows and cattle, which is wrong because they depend on human beings and their children and wives.< /p>

"All you can do now is that if any law prevents you from marrying women, it should be relaxed. Mighty can behave like your grandfathers and great-grandfathers, who were powerful men before the rise of white people, who came to tell you that it should be a man, a woman."

The Ooni Effect

The politician, who holds a law and history degree from Keele University, UK, also drew similarities between himself and the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ọjájá II , who recently took six wives in one fell swoop.

In 2019, Mr. Nwoko married actress Regina Daniels and now has two children with her.

He said that aside from him and the Ooni being polygamists, their grandfathers were both at Home in the Old West area in the 1950s.

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“The Ooni and I have a common background as our grandfathers were kings and served Nigeria in that capacity. And we now also serve Nigeria by having many wives,” he said.< /p> Family ties

Like the monarch of Osun, Mr. Nwoko has six prominent wives, but they do not live together.

Describing them as eminent women in their rights, he said they all lived in different parts of the world.

“Two are in New York, United States (US), two are here in Nigeria, and two are in Dubai. But sometimes they meet here (his Delta State country home); here is the meeting point,” he said.

Mr. Nwoko, seeking to represent the North Delta senatorial district under the People's Democratic Party (PDP), explained that as a rule he travels with only one woman at a time.

"I travel with one woman at a time. Usually, like once, it happened that I travel with Regina and Laila. But usually I travel with the children, the younger ones.

"I have 19 children now, and my eldest is 30. Those with my first wife are all graduates now. My last child with her did first class last year in England. So they are alone ; they are independent and go on vacation with their friends, not even with their mother, who is a law...