CONSTITUTIONAL DISCRIMINATIONS AGAINST CHRISTIAN MARRIAGE IN NIGERIA: A CALL FOR REDRESS

Abstract

The 1999 Constitution of Nigeria by virtue of item 61 of the Exclusive Legislative List recognizes only three forms of marriage in the country. These forms are statutory marriage, Islam law marriage and customary law marriage. Correspondingly it recognizes also only the matrimonial causes of these systems of marriage. Taking cognizance of the fact that Islamic law and customary law marriage systems are religious systems of marriage, this paper finds item 61 of the Exclusive legislative list discriminatory against Christian marriage and by extension against Christians. In establishing this fact this paper ex-rayed the religious nature of Islamic law marriage, customary law marriage and also Christian marriage. The paper calls for the redress of this constitutional discrimination. The methodology is doctrinal.