There was a mild drama in Nigeria’s Red Chamber when the Senate Leader, Senator Ali Ndume and Senator Nazif made a case for Nigerian men to marry multiple wives. Both senators are Muslims and their religion permits a man to marry more than one wife provided he can adequately care for them.

The drama played out yesterday after Senator Oluremi Tinubu, Senator representing Lagos Central, raised a point of order, presenting a motion sponsored by the Senate Committee on Women Affairs, commemorating International Women’s Day, which was themed “Pledge for parity”.

Rising to his feet to contribute to the debate, Senate Leader Ali Ndume added a prayer that men should be encouraged to marry more than one wife. He said: “For this reason, men should be encouraged to marry more than one wife. Men should not just be friends with women but marry as many as possible and as well take care of them.”

Ndume added that there is nothing wrong with marrying more than one wife and jokingly asked Senate President Bukola Saraki to take another wife.

The prayer was seconded by Senator Mohammed Nazif, representing Bauchi North, but a majority of the senators echoed “nay” to lay the matter to rest.

Discontinuing the debate, Senate President Bukola Saraki said it is necessary to celebrate women universally for their contributions to nation building.

He assured that the Senate would do its best in preventing girl child kidnapping and the many challenges of womanhood in the country, saying that there must be a major agenda to which the 8th Senate must make its mark regarding women.

•Photo shows Senate Leader Ali Ndume.