MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE: LAGOS ALIGNS WITH HIGH COURT JUDGEMENT

… SAYS ALL EXISTING LG MARRIAGE CERTIFICATES ARE VALID

 Lagos State Government has clarified the judgement of the Lagos High Court on the issuance of Marriage Certificates by the Local Government and Local Council Development Areas across the State, saying that it has aligned with the court verdict.

The State Government explained the Lagos High Court judgement which earlier stated that the issuance of the modified unified marriage certificates by Local Government Areas and Local Council Development Areas Marriage Registries in Lagos State is illegal was because  Form E was not issued as stipulated in Section 24 of the Marriage Act.

State Commissioner for Local Government and Community Affairs, Hon. Muslim Folami, at a press briefing held today at Alausa, Ikeja, reaffirmed that the already issued marriage certificates by marriage registries in all the 20 LGAs and 37 LCDAs in the State before the High Court’s judgement remain valid.

According to him, “I wish state categorically that the Court verdict does not in any way undermine the constitutional rights/responsibilities of the Local Government to conduct, regulate and register marriages but that it only emphasized that the issuance of marriage certificates by the Local Government Marriage Registries should conform with the Marriage Act and the need for re-issuance of Marriage Certificates to affected persons. Therefore, all previously marriages conducted in any of our registries are still good and valid”.

The Commissioner added that the State Government has since complied with the said judgement and had circulated the Form E specified in the Marriage Act to the 57 LGAs/LCDAs Marriage Registries across the State.

Explaining further on the judgement, the Legal Officer of the Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairs, Mrs. Onafowokan Anifat said that married couples and holders of marriage certificates from any of the LGAs/LCDAs could approach the marriage registries in the State for a re-issuance of their Marriage Certificates, stressing, however, they are not compelled to do so as their marriage certificates still remain authentic and accepted worldwide.

The Chairman of Conference 57 and Sole Administrator of Bariga LCDA, Hon. Sanya Oshijo, who spoke on behalf of other Sole Administrators in the State, urged members of the public to continue to have their marriages in any of the registries of their choice in the State, adding that the various registries are now in possession of Form E stipulated in Section 24 of the Marriage Act.