This post follows this one on the same topic.
The news of the illegality of the marriage conducted in the Ikoyi marriage registry and other federal marriage registries has been trending for days. For the record, the piece was first published on this platform with other news blogs carrying the news and most instances misquoted the original author till it went viral like a wildfire and started causing panic in the hearts of many married couples.
It caught the attention of almost everyone, including celebrities and popular figures questioning the legality of their purported marriage they conducted in the Ikoyi registry, people became uncertain if they are legally and statutorily married to their spouse or they are just cohabitating and fornicating.
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The author has been getting numerous mails and calls from readers for consultation and counseling with callers seeking what they should do next to make their marriage legal and statutory.
The office of the permanent secretary and principal registrar of marriages of the Ministry of Interior took a swift action on this matter and have released an official memo to this effect and openly rebuffing the news that the Court never did say that marriages conducted by Ikoyi marriage registry and other federal marriage registries are illegal and invalid (the full press statement is reproduced here).
To this effect, as we may think that this official memo from the office of the principal Registrar of marriages is politics as usual, purportedly married couples whose marriages were conducted at Ikoyi Marriage registry or other federal marriage registries should be at peace and take the official memo released by the office of the permanent secretary and Registrar of marriages for it and till the court takes the next line of action, maybe on appeal on this matter.
The best advice is for everyone to stay away from federal marriage registries for now till when the highest court (the Supreme Court) makes a pronouncement on this and it will always be better in your interest to consult a lawyer.
All Marriages conducted by the Ikoyi Marriage Registry are illegal and Invalid [updated]