Marriages conducted, registered in Lagos are legal, says Folami

The Lagos State government has reassured Nigerians that all marriages conducted and registered in any of the state’s 20 Local Council Areas and 37 Local Council Development Areas remain valid and in accordance with the Marriage Act of Lagos.

Muslim Folami, commissioner for Local Government & Community Affairs, who disclosed this at a briefing on the judgment obtained by the councils at the Federal High Court, Lagos, over Ikoyi Marriage Registry, said the ruling would undoubtedly put a stop to the wrong perception of superiority of Ikoyi Registry over the local council registries.

Before now, some local councils across the federation had filed a law suit challenging the power of the Ministry of Interior to operate marriage registries.

The local councils across the country prayed the court to declare that the conduct and registration of marriages is the exclusive right of the councils and also restrain the Ministry of Interior from further establishing any federal marriage registry in any part of the councils across Nigeria.

“In order to intimate the various embassies resident in Lagos State, the general public and the country at large that all marriages conducted and registered in any of the 57 local councils and LCDAs are valid and in accordance with the Marriage Act,” Folami said.

“You will recall that as regards registration of marriages, it is within the exclusive authority of the Registrar within the Marriage District (Local Government) in accordance with the provisions of Section 30 (1) of the Marriage Act and Section 7 (5) of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he further said.

While describing the ruling as a landmark achievement, meant to change initial perception of Nigerians, he stated that since the local councils are the closest to the grassroots, they should be the first port of call for contracting and verification of marriages.

The commissioner noted that there is an existing decision of the Federal High Court sequel to an originating summons taken out in Suit No FHC/L/870/2002 in 2004, which ruled that only the local councils have the responsibility to register and conduct marriages, adding that there has been no evidence so far that the judgment has been nullified on appeal or that any appeal is pending against decisions as the law stands, which means it is binding and subsisting.

He noted that to change the perception of Nigerians, the ministry has deemed it necessary to embark on a massive public sensitisation with a view to creating the much-needed awareness to restore public confidence on Local Council Marriage Registries.

While congratulating management of the local councils, specifically the marriage registrars, he urged the public to take cognisance of the landmark judgment by patronising the legal and approved marriage registries in the state for the conduct of their marriages.

 

Josephine Okojie