Nigerian comedian and actor Okechukwu Anthony Onyegbule, popularly known as Okey Bakassi, has reignited the age-old debate on marriage by asserting that polygamy is the ideal marital system for Africa. Speaking on the Honest Bunch Podcast, the entertainer argued that monogamy is failing in African societies, with many people merely pretending to be happy in monogamous marriages.
“Forget all the lip service we pay to polygamy here. I still think that polygamy is the best form of marriage for Africa. Monogamy is not working,” Bakassi declared. He emphasized that the fundamental difference between the two systems is choice. “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?” he questioned.
His remarks have sparked widespread reactions on social media, with some supporting his views as reflective of African traditions, while others criticized his stance, calling it outdated and dismissive of the complexities of modern relationships.
The discussion underscores a broader cultural conversation about the evolving dynamics of marriage in Africa, where traditional polygamous practices often clash with the increasing embrace of monogamy influenced by Western norms.
