Ayodele Fayose, former Ekiti governor and ally of President Bola Tinubu, has criticized northerners for marrying multiple wives and having many children indiscriminately, stating this behavior is a significant problem for Nigeria and a burden on the government.
In an interview on Channels TV on Monday night, Mr. Fayose was asked what the government could do to alleviate the suffering of millions of Nigerians as they prepare to protest.
He pointed to the marrying of multiple wives and indiscriminate childbearing as issues exacerbating the country’s population crisis.
Sharing his observations from a visit to a northern state, Mr. Fayose said, “Let me say this. I went to one state in the North. I don’t want to mention the name of the state. I was there for three days. During my stay, I became familiar with people around the government house where I stayed. I sat outside and started speaking with one or two people. I asked the gateman how long he had been in government work.
“He said he had spent 26 years. I asked how much his salary was. He said it was small, N34,000. I asked how many children he had. He said 16. I asked how many wives he had. He said four.”
Mr. Fayose continued, “My brother, the problem is inside… For God’s sake, if somebody is earning N34,000, what can the government do with 17 children? We don’t want to be unrealistic.”
He also recounted another conversation, saying, “Another person said he has eight children and three wives, with one of his wives still expecting. A lot has to be done with our people too. Because when you have children and you go into government, a government that is struggling to survive, it is difficult when you are asking me what I would say to them. What do I say to a man who has 17 children and four wives?”
Mr. Fayose’s comments come amid public outrage over economic hardships and a high cost of living under President Tinubu’s administration.
He argued that expecting the government to fix long-standing issues within a year is unrealistic, noting, “This hunger started a long time ago. That was why there was a rally at one point demanding ‘Jonathan must go.’ Jonathan left, but that hunger did not stop. Buhari came. I spoke to power. Buhari spent eight years, and nobody said anything. I don’t remember any rallies.”
He concluded by stressing the complexity of governing Nigeria and urged patience, stating, “Nigeria is a very difficult country to govern. We all know that. If a man is to spend four years, give him a mid-term.”
