The Federal Ministry of Interior has clarified that all marriages conducted by the Ikoyi marriage registry are valid and constitutional.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the ministry countered reports which has caused uproar on social media, that marriage certificates issued at the Ikoyi registry were invalid.
The ministry’s Permanent Secretary/Principal Registrar of Marriages, Dr. Shuaib Belgore, in the statement issued, he stated that there were existing court judgments empowering the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Interior to conduct marriages, by virtue of Legal Notices issued pursuant to the Marriage Act.
He said, “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.”
There had been reports that a Federal High Court in Lagos, on Monday, ruled that the marriage certificates issued by the Ikoyi Marriage Registry were worthless.
In the reports, Justice D. E. Osiagor was quoted as declaring that it was unconstitutional for the Federal Government to conduct marriages.
Justice Osiagor was said to have held that only the local government marriage registries were empowered to conduct marriages by the provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
He also reportedly ordered the closure, with immediate effect, of all federal marriage registries opened by the ministry, including that of Ikoyi.
