•Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse III and wife Queen Ivie
“God did not give me that grace,” the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse III, has said, explaining why he has chosen to remain married to one wife despite traditional expectations for monarchs to practise polygamy.
The traditional ruler, who married his now Queen, Ivie Atuwatse, in 2014, said he has chosen to focus his time and energy on his immediate family rather than dividing his attention among multiple marriages. The couple have three children, reports Saturday Independent.
In the interview aired on BBC Pidgin, the Olu said he consciously balances the public demands of kingship with his private life as a husband and father, stressing that peace at home remains his priority.
He said that outside official duties, he prefers a quiet, private lifestyle that allows him to spend quality time with his family and maintain personal stability.
According to him, the demands of kingship already consume much of his time, leaving little room for the complications that often come with polygamy.
“I do not want life to be complicated because I cannot spread my energy everywhere. I have a wife and children, and I spend time managing my family so I can also invest in their lives,” he added.
Responding directly to questions about marrying multiple wives, the monarch said simply: “God did not give me that grace.”
The Olu of Warri noted that his responsibilities as a traditional ruler frequently involve high-level engagements with political leaders, leaving him craving quiet moments with his family whenever he returns home.
“The whole world is already pulling on me as a king. Today I met the governor, and tomorrow there is another high-level engagement. These are already well enough for me. I’m ok with one wife,” he said.
While polygamy remains common among traditional rulers and even local chiefs, the Olu of Warri’s decision to remain monogamous stands out as a rarity for a first-class monarch. However, the young king is understood to have consulted widely and established that his choice does not violate any traditional law or custom or offend the gods of the land. To put it straight, there is no cultural or spiritual injunction breached.
His decision is a personal one, and not subject to censure by either tradition or society.
