Your marriage dey valid? Dis Nigerian laws on union go clear your doubt

Man inserting a ring into di finger of im wife.

Marriage na union between two pipo wey don go through all of di processes wey dey required to become husband and wife.

Plenti Nigerians dey marry wey be say dia marriage no dey valid sake of how dem take do am and e no dey in line wit di laws of di kontri.

For Nigeria alone, different pipo wey dey do wedding fit do up to three types of wedding, especially young couples – and some dey wey be say na only one type of wedding celebration dem go do.

But either you do three different wedding celebrations or na one you do, we wan take you through wetin go make your wedding dey valid and evritin you suppose know.

Only one young couple go do court marriage, traditional marriage, church marriage and odas wey dey at dia disposal.

Some pastors don even boast say dem fit join any couple for dia church anytime even if na just two of dem dey present.

Dat one dey valid?

E no go good make you don do marriage and live for many years togeda to come see say your marriage no dey valid under di law.

E no go make sense say afta you don spend plenti moni ontop bride price and wedding celebrations make your marriage no kon dey valid. Dis na why you gatz know plenti tins wey no too dey clear about marriages for Nigeria.

How many types of marriages dey valid under di law

Di first tin we gatz let you know na di kain marriages wey dey recognised under di law.

Under di Nigerian law, na only two types of marriages dey recognised:

1. Customary Marriage:

Man dey put ring for im wife hand for di presence of witnesses

Dis na di same kain marriage wey plenti pipo sabi as Traditional Marriage. For dis kain marriage, di ceremony na according to customs of di wife and husband to-be. Dem gatz perform dis type of marriage according to di custom of di family wey di bride and di groom come from.

Di law recognise dis kain marriage for Nigeria.

Na under dis kain marriage dem dey ask make di man pay bride price and even bring plenti gifts wey di bride family don already prepare for am inside list.

Bride price dey different from custom to custom – dis mean say all customs no dey pay same bride price.

Na you wey wan marry go know wetin dem dey collet for wia you wan go marry partner from – and if di bride price too much for you to pay, na to go hustle more so you go fit meet up wit di customary demands.

You gatz know say Customary Marriage na di marriage wey dey according to di Custom or Native Law of a particular society or ethnic group wia una wan observe di marriage.

Wetin go make your Customary Marriage dey valid

Consent: Na for evritin consent dey important and for Customary Marriage, e dey necessary to get consent bifor marriage go happun between two love birds.

Di parents or guardian of di bride wey you wan marry gatz give consent to both parties to marry.

So, if to say you don go carry pesin daughter put for house and her parent or guardian no give you consent for both of you to marry each oda – e mean say na illegal tin you dey do .

Also note say di consent gatz dey bifor di marriage celebration. You no fit marry wife, if di parent no know and you know fit pay bride price of pesin wey you neva get di consent.

If you marry witout consent under di Customary Marriage, di court fit dissolve una marriage. Bifor your Customary Marriage go dey valid, una two (bride and groom) gatz agree to marry and di parents gatz also give approval too.

Bride Price: As a man, you no go fit escape dis one unless dem pity you. Bride price dey necessary as a requirement under Traditional Marriage and you go pay am to di bride family (wife family).

Also, you gatz comply wit di marriage list wey di wife family go give you bifor you go fit carry dia daughter comot for dia house. And una gatz be citizen of Nigeria.

Not related by blood: Na serious offence under di law if you marry pesin wey dey related to you by blood. In fact, na serious abomination to even marry or sleep wit (sex) pesin wey be same blood wit you.

If dat kain marriage happun, e dey invalid under di Customary/Traditional Marriage law of Nigeria. You no fit marry your sister, brother, cousin, nephew, niece and so on.

Di main part be say make una don do di marriage according to di customs and traditions of dat particular place and families.

2. Statutory Marriage:

Dis kain marriage dey regarded as di Registry Marriage. Dis na di same marriage wey dey known as Marriage under di Act. As e be, na dis type of marriage carry oda types wey pipo dey do for Nigeria.

Statutory Marriage na marriage wey happun for Court Registry or a licensed place of worship (part of di one una dey call church marriage).

But dis marriage come wit plenti requirements bifor e fit dey accepted say e dey valid and na why dem also dey call am Marriage under di Act.

Now, you dey wonder why pipo dey rush go registry like Ikoyi Registry, Abuja Registry and oda popular ones.

E mean any marriage whatsoeva wey happun must dey according to di Marriage Act. Na dat Act specify plenti tins wey go make your marriage dey valid and di Federal Ministry of Interior recognise am well well.

How your marriage fit dey valid under di Marriage Act

Di first step under dis act na to first notify di Registrar of Marriage for di local goment wia dem go conduct di marriage.

Make e dey clear say, no local goment dey superior to anoda – so make nobodi pressure you say one dey recognised pass di oda.

According to di Marriage Act “weneva any pesin desire to marry, one of di parties to di intended marriage gatz sign and give to di registrar of di district in wia di marriage dey intended.”

Dem go kon publish di notice of marriage (for notice board) for twenty-one days in case anybodi get any issue wit di marriage.

If nobodi raise any objection to di marriage, di registrar go kon issue a certificate to di intending couples.

You also gatz note dis under di Marriage Act:

One of di parties (wey wan marry) gatz dey live within di place wey di marriage wan happun- at least fifteen days bifor di registrar give di certificate.
Each of di parties wey wan marry gatz be twenty-one years old and if anyone one of dem dey under dat age, dem go require a consent and none of dem go be widow or widower.
None of di intending couples go don marry anoda pesin under di customary law, except di pesin wey dem bring to marry under di Act.
Afta dem don pass oda requirements, di two parties go swear bifor a registrar, an administrative officer or a recognised religion minister to dey joined togeda.

Dis fit happun for any recognised place of worship under di Marriage Act.

Note say, no be all churches or mosque dey registered or valid to conduct marriage for intending couples.

Wetin go make your church marriage valid?

According to di Marriage Act (22-25), you fit celebrate marriage for any licensed place of worship and na recognised minister of di church or denomination wey get di place of worship go do am.

E dey important to know say dem go do di marriage celebration according to di rites of marriage wey dem dey observe for dat place of worship – and e go be for di building wey don dey licensed by di Act.

Di marriage for di place of worship gatz dey celebrated wit open doors (e mean say e gatz be in between di hours of 8am – 6pm) and for di presence of two or more witnesses aside di officiating minister.

Di officiating minister no fit celebrate any marriage if any issue dey or if di intending couples no present di registrar certificate.

Both di registrar and di recognised minister go get copies of di marriage certificates and dem go keep am – dis na afta di couples don sign di marriage certificate.

Afta di marriage celebration, di officiating minister go fill a duplicate marriage certificate wit di details of di pipo wey just marry, date and names of witnesses – and e go submit am.

According to di Ministry of Interior, all places of Worship wey wish to conduct Marriages legally for Nigeria gatz dey licensed.

Di first certificate dey valid for five (5) years, and afta dat, di license go dey renewable evri three (3) years period.

If all dis steps and requirements dey followed, your marriage dey valid under di Act.

You sure say your place of worship dey recognised, and di minister wey join you and your partner dey recognised too?

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