The Court of Appeal has reaffirmed the power of the Local Governments to register all types of Marriages (including Marriage under Act) within their Jurisdiction to the Exclusion of Federal Ministry of Interior or any other arm of government in Nigeria in Suit No: CA/L/CV/968/22.
By this judgment, the court also upheld the decision of the lower court that All the Marriage Registries of the Ministry of Interior in the states of the federation should be sealed up accordingly.
This declaration of the Court of Appeal, Lagos re-affirmed the Federal High Court relief to order 7 of the Plaintiffs’ Claim granted in Suit no:FHC/L/LCS/816/2018.
By this order the coast is now clear for the Local Governments in Nigeria to ensured that any Marriage Registry belonging to the Ministry of Interior within their Jurisdiction is illegal, null and void contrary to the existing law in Nigeria.
The general public have subsequently been warned not to be deceived by any news/ publications contrary to the information.
The judgments in (1) suit No CA/L/CV/968/22 A.G FED & MIN OF JUSTICE VS ETI -OSA LG. LAGOS & ORS and (2) CA/LAG/CV/566/22 HON. MINISTER OF INTERIOR VS ETI- OSA LOCAL GOVERNMENT LAGOS & 5 ORS, delivered by the Court of Appeal Lagos on the 2nd of August 2023, held in parts that Local Government Council should exclusively register all marriages within their jurisdictions and partly in particular allowed the reliefs 7 in Suit No FHC/L/CS/816/2018 from the lower court … Reliefs 7, That there shall be No Federal Marriage Registry in the Marriage District (Local Government Council) in Nigeria, in its reaction after the online judgment counsel to the Local Government Council Prince Roger Michael Adedimeji expressed his joy over the Court of Appeal’s decision for upholding the lower court Rulling with respect to Reliefs 7 , and maintained that the coast is now clear for the Local governments to move for the Execution of the law on the final sealing of all the Federal Marriage Registries all over the States of the Federation and that its Clients (Local Government) will ensured that the existing exempted Ikoyi and Abuja Marriage Registries are closed in accordance to the law.
