Posted by By Akin Alofetekun, Minna on
Whatever doubt remained in the mind of Hajiya Zaynab Abdulkhadir Kure, wife of the Niger State governor concerning sole ownership of her husband, Engineer Abdulakhadir A. Kure, has vanished into thin air.
Whatever doubt remained in the mind of Hajiya Zaynab Abdulkhadir Kure, wife of the Niger State governor concerning sole ownership of her husband, Engineer Abdulakhadir A. Kure, has vanished into thin air.
The governor last Saturday announced to the whole world that though a Muslim and a man of means, no other woman would come between him and his wife.
'I want to announce to you, Ebbo, my brother and Hajiya Amina Kere Ahmed, my sister and my teacher that I have no plan to take another wife," Governor Kure declared.
Not few people felt that Mrs Kure on that occasion must have felt six feet taller at such open declaration in an environment where monogamy is almost a taboo especially for men of means and power as Governor Kure.
Open secret
Even before the open declaration at the Bako Kontagora Stadium in Minna during the graduation ceremony of some 3,596 beneficiaries of the State Youth Economic Empowerment Progamme (YEEP) of the state government, Governor Kure's preference for monogamy was an open secret.
Shortly before the declaration, some two speakers in their protocol list had described Hajiya Zaynab Kure as 'the first and only wife of Governor Abdulkhadir Kure" in a manner that emphasised the governor's preference for monogamy.
Kure may have taken note of this expression to warrant his unequivocal declaration that only death could come between him and Zaynab.
Promoters of polygamy
A top female government functionary confided in Daily Sun that 'comfortable men here are always under the pressure to take more wives, especially from their mothers.
'The mother thinks if her son is not taking second wife, you the wife at home must be the one responsible. They think you must have invoked some forces to turn his mind away from polygamy."
Means and power
If wealth, means, power and tradition are anything to go by, Engineer Kure, a fellow of the Nigeria Society of Engineers, governor for six years now, the holder of traditional title of Rani of Lapai and a prince of the Lapai emirate should under ordinary circumstances have beautiful damsels at his beck and call.
Those who know the highly religious governor very well say he does not believe that any man has the capacity to do justice to more than one woman as required of Muslims going into polygamy. So as a practical Muslim, he would rather stick to one wife.
Role models
Governor Kure is definitely not alone in this tenacious hold to monogamy. He has role models in the persons of General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, Military President between 1985 and 1993 and General Abdulsalami Alhaji Abubakar, Head of State between 1998 and 1999.
The duo, despite their stupendous wealth and power were married to one wife each, Maryam and Fati respectively.
Defence
Later that day, a friend of the governor jokingly said Kure has chosen the path of monogamy because he is not bold.
Kure, replied by telling the friend that if polygamy is about boldness, he has no regret for not being bold.
'I thank God for that, let those who are bold continue to gather more wives," he said.