Ayodele Fayose, a former Ekiti governor and ally of President Bola Tinubu, says that northerners marrying multiple wives and having many children indiscriminately constitute a huge problem for Nigeria and a burden on the government.

Mr Fayose said this during an interview on Channels TV on Monday night.

Asked what he thinks the government could do to alleviate the sufferings of millions of Nigerians under Mr Tinubu’s watch as citizens prepare to protest, Mr Fayose highlighted the marrying of multiple wives and indiscriminate childbearing as issues compounding the country’s population crisis.

Recounting how he came to know about indiscriminate marriage and childbearing in Northern Nigeria, 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.”

He added, “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.

The former Ekiti governor continued, “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?” he said.

Mr Fayose’s comments come in the wake of public outrage over prevailing economic hardships characterised by a high cost of living crisis under Mr Tinubu’s watch.

He argued that one year was too quick for Mr Tinubu’s government to fix a hunger crisis that predated his presidency, adding that former President Muhammadu Buhari served eight years without protests over hunger in the country.

“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,” Mr Fayose said.

“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.”