The Federal Government reiterates that marriages formalized at the Ikoyi registry in Lagos are constitutional and legal.

The Federal Government through the Ministry of Interior on Tuesday reiterated that marriages formalised at the Ikoyi registry in Lagos are constitutional and legal.

Several reports had claimed marriages conducted at federal registries were illegal as local governments are responsible for that aspect of public life. However, in a statement by spokesperson of the Ministry of Interior, Blessing Lere-Adams, such claims were misleading and false.

In the statement, she conferred the Federal Government wishes and assurance to the general public-especially prospective couples wishing and planning to contract their marriages at the Ikoyi Marriage Registry or any other Federal Marriage Registry under the Ministry of Interior, that they are free to do so, as the 1999 Constitution legally empowers the Federal Government to contract such marriages.

Also, the Permanent Secretary and Principal Registrar of Marriages, Shuaib Belgore confirmed the statement while fielding questions in his office. Belgore emphatically submitted that the misinformation and totally incorrect news making the rounds recently in the Social media-was incorrect and should be disregarded.