A Nigerian woman's candid online confession about her family's deeply hidden secrets has set social media ablaze, triggering a nationwide conversation about marriage, betrayal, and the complex dynamics of family advice.
"My Aunties Are Pick-Mes": The Bombshell Confession
In a viral TikTok video, the woman, whose identity remains protected, made startling claims about her immediate family members. She bluntly labeled her mother and aunties as "pick-mes"—a term describing women who seek male approval, often at the expense of other women. This, she explained, is why she filters their counsel.
"My aunties are pick mes. That's why I cannot just stay and be listening to some of their advice because it's complete trash. My mom, sef, is a pick me. I love her. She's a Good Christian. But as a woman, she's no dey try," the woman stated, expressing a mix of affection and frustration.
The Uncle's Web of Secret Marriages and Hidden Children
The story took a darker turn as she narrated the complicated marital history of her late uncle. She explained that his legal wife, pseudonymously referred to as Cindy, faced a tragic situation early in their relationship. After Cindy became pregnant while they were dating, the couple opted for a termination. The procedure led to severe medical complications, ultimately leaving Cindy unable to conceive.
Despite this, they married. However, after a decade without children, her uncle secretly took another wife, a woman the narrator called Precious. Precious bore him twins and was quietly integrated into the family fold. Shockingly, the narrator revealed that almost the entire family, including her mother, aunties, and even herself as a child, knew about the second wife while Cindy remained oblivious.
"This man carried me and my elder sister when we were much younger to that side chick's house that had twins. This woman gave us ponmo, hot meat, and drink, zobo make we chop," she recalled, highlighting the normalization of the secret within her family.
The Final Revelation and Online Firestorm
The biggest shock emerged after the uncle's death nearly two months prior. Cindy discovered her husband's infidelity was far more extensive than she imagined. He did not have just two secret children, but five from different women, with one offspring nearly the same age as the narrator. The grieving wife reportedly fainted multiple times upon learning the truth.
The narrator's anger was further fueled by her mother's insistence on adhering to the adage "Don't speak ill of the dead," which she felt silenced justified criticism of her uncle's actions.
The video sparked intense and mixed reactions from Nigerians across social media platforms:
- @SucreOma shared a harsh experience: "You see my mother? that one is mabulu'm. I left my husband for DV. my mother called me on phone and asked me to go back to my husband or I stop calling her... I asked her to go to Hell."
- @CYNTHIA MADUEKE praised her supportive mother: "I thank God for my mum. Any small quarrel with your husband that she gets to hear about she will call to remind you that you shouldn't forget you can always come back home."
- @SHaKiRaH reacted to common advice: "one woman was advising me... that I should do whatever it takes to keep my home, because men always look for love anywhere they can find it and I am like me too I dey look for love."
The discussion expanded beyond this single story, with many users sharing parallel experiences of family members who prioritized preserving a man's image over supporting wronged women. The viral moment has underscored ongoing debates about generational trauma, toxic family secrets, and the quality of counsel given within Nigerian families.
