PRESS STATEMENT BY THE PERMANENT SECRETARY AND PRINCIPAL REGISTRAR OF MARRIAGES, MINISTRY OF INTERIOR

The attention of the Ministry of Interior has been drawn to news making the rounds on social media claiming that the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has declared all Marriages conducted by Ikoyi marriage registry to be illegal and invalid.

We would like to state that this statement is false, misleading and a deliberate distortion of the decision of the Court in Suit No: FHC/L/CS/816/18 between Eti-Osa Local Government Council & 3 others v. Honourable Minister of Interior and 2 others, where the Honourable Court held that only the Local Government councils can conduct valid marriages in Nigeria.

It is noteworthy that, the same Federal High Court situated in Ikoyi, Lagos in Suit No. FHC/L/870/2002 between Prince Haastrup and Eti Osa Local Government held that the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Interior is constitutionally empowered to conduct marriages in Nigeria and held that the Local Governments were delegated by the Federal Government to conduct marriages, by virtue of Legal Notices issued pursuant to the Marriage Act.

In that case, the learned trial judge held that nothing in the role of local governments, as defined in the Constitution, suggests that local governments can conduct or contract marriages as alleged in their pleadings. The Court affirmed that powers of the local governments to contract statutory marriages is derived from the Legal Notices issued by the President. The Court also confirmed that the role of local governments, as enshrined in the Constitution is limited to registration of all forms of marriages (including Islamic and customary marriages).

Rather than appeal this decision, the same claimants instituted another action in 2016 Suit no. FHC/L/CS/1760/16 Egor Local Government, Eti- Osa Local Government and 2 others V Hon, Minister of Interior and 2 Others. The Court held that the Suit was an abuse of court process, as it could not be invited to make another pronouncement on the same point of law, which would lead to conflicting decisions coming from the same court and therefore struck out the case.

The same issue was adjudicated in the case of Olumide Babalola vs Ikeja Local Government and the Registered Trustees of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) in Suit No. LD/1343/GCM/2016 delivered on 15th May, 2017. The Court held that while registration of marriages are regulated by local governments, being under the concurrent list, formation of marriage is under the Exclusive Legislative List, within the jurisdiction of the Federal Government, regulated by the Ministry of Interior.

It is further worthy of note that the issue of formation, annulment and other matrimonial causes are by virtue of item 61 of the 1st Schedule of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria exclusively reserved for the Federal Government.

The General Public is invited to note that these judgments are all still subsisting, competent and have not been appealed against till date.

Further to the above, the current decision of the Federal High Court delivered by Hon. Justice D. E. Osiagor of Court 6, cannot set aside a previous decision of the same Court, which is of coordinate jurisdiction, as that would amount to the court sitting on appeal over its own judgment.

In the circumstances, the Federal Government through the Ministry of Interior, has applied for a certified true copy of the judgement and will take appropriate further action including but not limited to filing of an appeal in respect of this conflicting and confusing decision, in line with the provisions of the Constitution.

We would like to appeal to the general public, the international community, to couples who had hitherto had their marriages solemnized at Federal Marriage Registries by duly licensed places of worship and to all intending couples to be calm and continue transacting their normal businesses at all Federal Marriage Registries subsisting throughout the federation in line with statutory and constitutional provisions.

The general public is to please note the foregoing and maintain status quo ante.

Dr. Shuaib Belgore
Permanent Secretary/Principal Registrar of Marriages
14th December, 2021

Government of debunking, denials, counter-denials, and somersaults...

Enjoy my signature below

Let’s see how this will go down
MINISTRY OF INTERIOR 1 v 1 FEDERAL HIGH COURT

The Local Government are closer to the people. Customary Courts should have handle customary cases which includes marriages and divorces and controlled my LGAs.

Abuja is just interested in mopping up money

Damnnn niggar
This government just dey confused

Ok

They keep denying everything that no one knows who and what to believe anymore.



In other news we are opened for business.

They better debunk it. Can you imagine the millions of marriages that has taken place there.

Some people are happy for declaring the marriages illegal. Oju ti tiwon oooo.

Talk this one, deny later..

Talk another one, still deny again.

Which kind cruise country be this la?? WTF!!!!

Even the FG sef is fake

It's high time the constitution is amended to fully confer power to conduct marriage with the respective states..

It's unreasonable to think that everyone will go to Ikoyi in this day and age...

The place is always choked up...

Modified: These are the only federal marriage regsiteries in Nigeria. Total BS if you ask me.

So how many hours were the marriages invalid?

Lol

Y'all that got married at the registry and have seen the previous rumors has an opportunity to leave your spouses.
You have no where to go!!!






























You die there!!!

Again,

"rumors are spread by fools and believe by idiots"

.............Dem MANNA Da TRUTH.

If a Court of competent jusrisdiction makes a pronouncement, what else do you need?

Confused government, they have never admit to anything in all the years of their miss rule.

They are only good at debunking, rejecting and issuing canter claim.

Very useful government.

Abeg as if una debunking it will change anything. Abeg move jare

Was expecting it.

This just clearly shows the state of the nation under APC ~ TOTAL COLAPS OF SANITY AND CONFUSSION!

Everything about this country is just upside down

Na dem dem below......

A failure will always blame someone else for the downfall of his marriage.

Dis one don dey tell us say na Ikoyi registry no make him marriage work out

Baby Freezer, if u treat your 2nd wife just the same way the fort one was treated, she too will run away..
Take that from dem MANNA, Da TRUTH.

Yeye dey Freeze

Akuko

Malami have done it again ooo

Good everyone can continue enjoying their marriages without pressure.

I know some people are already rejoicing Nd planning to run away from their marriage. Issa lie. It’s till death do you path.

The bottom line of this explanation is that the federal government and more especially the ministry of interior is not ready to let go this important stream of income

Fake news to distract the gullible from d killings happening around us

The North wan use style control south population by stopping marriages

Debunkers and Shockerers


Debunking what has been stamped by them asif its some Third Party that said it.



They can even deny that they denied ever denying even of Cock Crow 1000 times in the Midnight.

They'll weep then deny they ever wept after denying.


FG

Nobody is talking about the amount of FAKENEWS merchants we have in this country.

Most of the FAKENEWS by traffic mongering online media has become something the government need to look into. These FAKENEWS merchants are undermining government