The Lagos Division of the Federal High Court has affirmed that marriages conducted at the Ikoyi and Abuja Federal Marriage Registry are legal. It however ruled marriages outside Local Governments Marriage Registry illegal.

This is contained in the certified true copy of the judgement delivered by Justice D.E Osiagor on December 8 and obtained by Peoples Gazette.

Granting five of the seven reliefs sought by the plaintiffs, Mr Osiagor in the suit number FHC/L/CS/816/2018, held that: ” there shall be no Federal Marriage Registry in the Marriage Districts (Local Government Councils) save Ikoyi and Abuja Federal Marriage Registry predating the 1999 Constitution without prejudice to 1st Defendants exclusive powers to issue licence to places of public worship to celebrate marriages all over the Federation.”

The controversy began with a matter between the Eti-Osa Local Government Area, the Ministry of Interior and the Attorney General of the Federation in 2018. The Federal Ministry of Interior was accused of taking up the powers of the local government to operate marriage registries, conduct marriages and issue marriage certificates.

Mr Osiagor held that only the local government marriage registries were empowered to do such by the provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), he further held that all marriages conducted by federal marriage registries or through their agents are illegal and invalid.

The Federal Ministry of Interior released a statement on Tuesday afternoon, clarifying that all marriages conducted by the Ikoyi marriage registry are valid and legal.

In a statement, the ministry’s Permanent Secretary/Principal Registrar of Marriages, Dr. Shuaib Belgore said there were existing judgments that allowed the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Interior to conduct marriages. This claim was disputed however by the National President of the  Association of Local Government Marriage Registrars, Deji Sokeye, who reiterated the Federal High Court’s position that the Federal Government had been barred from conducting marriages at its marriage registries nationwide.