A Nigerian lady stirred controversy online with the claim that a man is supposed to adopt his wife’s surname when they get married and it is backed by the bible.
In a video which has gone viral on social media, she said that the scriptures clearly told men to leave their parents, ‘cleave unto their wives’.
According to her, the man is supposed to leave everything that has to do with his father and mother including their name, and take his wife’s last name.
She quoted Genesis 2:24 which reads; “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.”
The young woman stressed that she was not misinterpreting the bible, as it categorically stated that he should leave his family and go into the woman’s family.
She said nobody wants to address that part because it does not suit the narrative that men keep pushing, which is that the wife should be the one to change her surname.
She recommended that if a woman wants to continue with her own surname or take her husband’s last name then she should be allowed to do so.
Using herself as a case study, she said she loves her life, her father and her family name, and would not want to change it simply because of marriage.
She emphasised that a man asking her to be in his life should not strip her of her identity as insisting she takes his name it is akin to branding her like a cow.
The lady went on to say that she is not the child of her husband, but when they have children, he can name them whatever he wants.
She said if her partner wants to treat her like a kid then he should have opted for adopting a child from an orphanage home.
She said; “The bible says you are are supposed to leave your father and your mother and everything that has to do with them, including their name and cleave to your wife, which suggests that you should adopt your wife’s last name and not the other way round.”
Watch her speak:
