In a statement that has sent shockwaves across the Nigerian internet space and sparked a tidal wave of reactions, popular media personality and fashion entrepreneur Toke Makinwa has candidly declared her willingness to marry again—even if it means becoming someone’s second, third, fourth, or fifth wife. The comment, made during a recent episode of her signature podcast Toke Moments, has become a lightning rod for discussions around marriage, polygamy, self-worth, and the modern woman’s evolving stance on relationships.

“At this point in my life, if I have the opportunity to marry again, as a second, third, fourth or fifth wife, I will take it,” she said, matter-of-factly, flashing her signature confidence and calm.

While the statement was delivered with the kind of sass and self-assurance Toke is known for, it was far from a throwaway line. The context behind her words was deeply reflective: she was speaking about the psychological toll marriages can take on women, the unrealistic expectations society places on them, and how, for her, peace of mind and mental health now trump every societal blueprint of what a ‘perfect’ marriage should look like.

For some, her comment was a bold, refreshing declaration of choice in a world that often corners women into rigid marital ideals. For others, it was a controversial take that challenged deeply rooted cultural and religious values around monogamy, commitment, and womanhood. Either way, Toke had once again done what she does best—ignite a nationwide conversation with nothing more than a mic, a moment, and a message.

It didn’t take long for clips from the podcast to go viral. The video was shared widely on X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, and Instagram, drawing tens of thousands of comments in a matter of hours. Reactions ranged from admiration to bewilderment to outright condemnation.

“She’s just being real,” one user tweeted. “Marriage is not one-size-fits-all. If she chooses peace in polygamy, who are we to judge?”

Another wasn’t so impressed: “This is the same woman who cried over a cheating husband. Now she wants to be someone’s 4th wife? Make it make sense.”

But in many ways, it does make sense—at least to those who’ve followed Toke’s personal journey over the years. In 2014, she tied the knot with Maje Ayida in an intimate ceremony that many believed was the fairytale ending she deserved. However, the marriage unraveled quickly and painfully. By 2017, a Lagos High Court dissolved the union over Ayida’s infidelity, a betrayal that played out in public and left Toke emotionally gutted, though never defeated.

She chronicled the ordeal in her bestselling memoir On Becoming, offering readers a raw, unfiltered look at heartbreak, betrayal, and the road to healing. It was a pivotal moment that not only solidified her place as a voice of vulnerability and strength in Nigerian media but also showed that she was not afraid to confront pain head-on, process it, and evolve.

So when she says now that she’d be open to joining a polygamous household, it’s not necessarily an endorsement of the structure—it’s a statement about her. It’s about a woman who’s seen enough, felt enough, and grown enough to know exactly what she wants: companionship without chaos, love without illusions, and peace without pretense.

“I’ve seen women lose themselves in marriage,” she continued on the podcast. “They go in hoping to be everything to a man, only to be broken by the weight of that responsibility. That’s not for me anymore.”

For many women who’ve endured similar journeys—public or private—Toke’s words hit home. They represent a shift from the age-old narrative of women being groomed solely for marriage and instead champion a more self-aware, boundary-conscious version of love, even if it defies tradition.

But her declaration also opens up a broader conversation about the cultural acceptance of polygamy, especially in a society like Nigeria where the practice is legal and culturally embedded in many regions. While polygamy has often been framed through the lens of patriarchal privilege, Toke’s comment flips the script: what if women chose it? Not out of submission, but out of strategy, agency, or even preference?

It's a daring question, and one that not everyone is ready to answer.

Religious groups, moral conservatives, and even some feminists expressed concern that her words may romanticize or normalize a structure that often puts women at a disadvantage. But others argue that the real win here is choice. If monogamy works for you, great. If it doesn’t, and you choose a different path with your eyes wide open—shouldn’t that be your right?

Toke Makinwa is no stranger to stirring up public emotion. She’s built an entire career on being honest, stylish, controversial, and—above all—unapologetically herself. Whether she’s hosting red carpets, launching a beauty line, or dropping bombshells on her podcast, she moves with a clarity that suggests she has long stopped waiting for public approval.

And if being someone’s second, third, or fourth wife gives her joy? She’ll own that just as fiercely as she owned her heartbreak, her healing, and her hustle.

What’s perhaps most telling is that nowhere in her statement did she speak about settling. There was no desperation in her tone, no hint of surrender. Just a woman who knows what peace feels like—and is willing to protect it, even if it means rewriting the traditional script.

In a world where women are constantly told what kind of love they should seek, what kind of wife they should be, and how they should respond to failure in marriage, Toke Makinwa is once again flipping the table. And whether you agree or not, you’re listening. You're reacting. You're thinking.

Because that's what Toke does—she makes us look at our beliefs, question our assumptions, and maybe, just maybe, consider a different way of doing life and love.

And in 2025, that’s the real revolution.