All marriages conducted at the popular Ikoyi marriage registry, Lagos, has been declared illegal by a High Court sitting in the state.
ThisDay reports that the court presided over by Justice D. E. Osiagor, declared it was unconstitutional for the federal government to conduct marriages.
Citing the provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), Justice Osiagor posits that only the local government marriage registries were empowered to operate marriage registries, conduct marriages and issue certificates.
The judge added that the acts of the federal government through the Ministry of Interior, operating marriage registries was beyond their powers and held that all marriages conducted by federal marriage registries or through their agents were illegal and invalid.
Further reports revealed that some local government areas in the country have engaged the federal government in a legal battle for long over the issue as they accused the ministry of usurping the local government power to conduct marriages and issue marriage certificates.
The publication also revealed that one Justice Chuka Austine Obiozor of the had on May 17, 2018, while delivering judgment on Suit No: FHC/L/CS/1760/16, issued a restraining order against Ikoyi registry from conducting marriages.
Following the judgement, the Lagos State Commissioner for Local Government and Community Affairs, Muslim Folami, said the court was supreme and legally binding on all and that all marriages conducted and registered in any of the 20 local governments were valid and in accordance with the marriage act.
He noted that decision will change the perception that the Ikoyi Marriage Registry is superior to the local government registries.
Folami subsequently added that the judgment would be communicated to all stakeholders, including the embassies.
“We are going to use every available platform in the five divisions across the state to sensitise our people and inform them about this latest development – from Epe to Ikorodu, Badagry, Ikeja and Lagos Island,” he said.
