Reactions have trailed the announcement made by a Kwara based lawyer, Muhammed Adams that he is “… currently working on a Bill to amend the Marriage Act, Matrimonial Causes Act and Marriage (Validation) Act.”
Below are some of them.
United States based Attorney and Medical Doctor, Emmanuel O. Fashakin said: “Someone is finally waking up. It is good to see. I asked a friend in current House of Rep to introduce a bill allowing polygamy, an African tradition, in Nigerian law. He promised — and did nothing.
“The United States will recognize any marriage which is valid where contracted. American citizens from other African countries are allowed to file for and bring all their wives to the United States. But not Nigerians, because polygamy, though widely practiced, is essentially unlawful in Nigeria.
“We have dogmatically held on to the white man’s one man one wife policy, to our disadvantage in the land of opportunity.
“The most important lesson to be learned by anyone involved in management or administration is that one size does not fit all. We are so backward in our thinking, pardon by derogatory language, that when Oyinbo hand us something and it is not working for us, we conclude that something has to be wrong with us, and not with it.”
Another legal practitioner, Saka Azimazi said: “Polygamy is not unlawful in Nigeria. Polygamy is unlawful to only persons who contract any marriage under the Marriage Act. If you contract marriage under Islamic law or native law and custom, you have the right to be polygamous. Indeed, under Private International Law, a Muslim is automatically a polygamist unless you have only one wife on the date of death.
“Most polygamist have no business with international law. The same international law that seeks to recognize same sex relationships seeks not to recognize a natural union recognized by the three main religions in Nigeria. Africans, in particular, have refused to liberate themselves from slavery mentality.
“Our laws are dictated by succumbing to warped legal systems that have no connection with our nature and historical cultural values. We must break away from the Western legal system that has brought us more strife than peace. Why is democracy working in Europe, but is a monumental failure in Africa? We must recognize that all men may be equal, but they are not the same.”
Another lawyer who did not give his name said: ” The Country recognises polygamy but, simply not under the Act. The Act governs a different regime of marriage and is well defined, monogamy. Monogamy is defined under the Interpretation Act.
“You can marry 50 women, polygamy or 50 men polyandry under our esteemed and well revered customary marriage norms. You can have the certificates or licences of the marriage from a customary court or local government. Why is this state of affairs a cause for concern again?”
Adam known on X as Foundational Nupe Lawyer1 had on 2 January tweeted thus:
