A federal high court in Lagos has ruled that the LG councils
are statutorily responsible for issuing marriage certificates in Nigeria.
Eti Osa LGA of Lagos state had in a suit marked FHC/
LS/CS/816/18 taken the ministry of interior to court challenging its power to
operate marriage registries, conduct weddings and issue marriage certificates.
In the suit which also had the attorney-general of the federation
joined as a defendant, the LGA asked the court to declare that the federal
government has no business in conducting marriages and issuing marriage
certificates. The plaintiffs also prayed the court to order the closure of all
marriage registries opened and operated by the federal ministry of interior or
any of their agents, including the Ikoyi registry.
Delivering judgment in favour of the plaintiffs, Daniel
Osaigor, a federal high court judge, agreed that local governments are
statutorily empowered to conduct weddings and issue certificates.
As a result of widespread reports that the court annulled
all weddings conducted by the Ikoyi Registry,
In 2018, Chuka Obiozor, judge of a Lagos high court, while
delivering judgment in a suit marked FHC/L/CS/1760/16, issued a restraining
order against Ikoyi registry from conducting marriages, saying it is
unconstitutional for the federal government to perform the duties of the state
and local governments.
The judge held that marriage registries in the local
government and local council development areas of Lagos state are the authentic
and legally-binding government divisions established to carry out such
functions.
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