Okey Bakassi's views on women and polygamy leave X in a frenzy

By: Sebaasttayes12 | 1 min read

Nigerian comedian and actor Okey Bakassi has reignited debates about marriage norms in Africa with his controversial remarks on the Honest Bunch Podcast.

Bakassi argued that polygamy aligns better with African traditions and realities, claiming that monogamy has largely been unsuccessful. He suggested that many individuals in monogamous marriages are merely putting up a facade of happiness.“Forget all the lip services that we pay to polygamy here. I still think that polygamy is the best form of marriage in Africa. Monogamy is not working.

“We are pretending. Now, what’s the difference between polygamy and monogamy? Polygamy says you can marry two people at the same time. Monogamy says you cannot marry them at the same time, you have to let one go. What if you don’t want to let one go?”

Delving into the dynamics of both systems, Bakassi highlighted a key distinction: polygamy permits multiple spouses simultaneously, while monogamy enforces exclusivity by requiring one partner to be left behind for another.

He questioned the fairness of such constraints, asking, “What if someone doesn’t want to let go of either partner?”

The remarks have sparked mixed reactions, with some praising his candor while others criticize the implications of normalizing polygamy.