by Citizen Reporter
Says documents filled with irregularities and inconsistencies
Rules that marriage with wife is valid in Nigeria
A marriage breakdown rarely brings out the best in people. The temptation to pursue vendettas for past grievances can become overwhelming. Politicians are not left out of this sad event, the politicians most angrily seeking revenge on the pages of newspapers are those who felt most hard done by the damage and to their careers.
Prince Abubakar Audu former governor of Kogi state’s divorce case in faraway America is probably the most public marriage meltdown we have seen in some time.
A typical divorce usually doesn’t generate media attention. But a contentious one involving a former governor facing multiple corruption and criminal charges both at home and abroad merits a look.
It is a do or die affair for Prince Audu Abubakar a two time governor of Kogi state and a gubernatorial aspirant in the fort coming elections in Kogi State
The Audu’s case, by simply looking at the motions and counter motions filed with the Montgomery County District Court record, has not been pretty.
In the course of the Divorce case Prince Abubakar Audu at one time claimed he was never married to Mrs. Aisha Audu his wife for 10 years and his first lady while he was governor of Kogi State between1999-2003, according to court documents he denied marriage and sought for marriage validity in the State of Maryland where his wife and children now resides.
In a deposition obtained from him under oath on Wednesday after being shown the magnitude of evidence presented by his wife to proof marriage he wisely changed his earlier statements and accepted that Mrs. Aisha Audu was indeed his wife. Also during the deposition conducted in the presence of a Montgomery County Court Officer, Prince Abubakar Audu under oath accepted that he was the sole owner of Goldwindow LLC a firm he earlier claimed was not his, and the firm he claimed owned his property at Potomac, Maryland. It would be recalled that it was the same firm he used to evict his family from the Potomac residence last year after he claimed the property was not his own.
In a trial also yesterday to decide “Validity of Marriage” at the county court of Montgomery county Prince Abubakar Audu again tendered another document purportedly issued by the Kogi state court to correct a statutory declaration of marriage he presented as exhibit to the court that was alleged to have been falsified.
According to the DCR/Litigation for the Chief Registrar of Kogi State the dates and receipts in the document submitted by Prince Audu Abubakar was not in their records and no file existed in their record file and furthermore the character of the form used in the document was not in use in Kogi State, when asked by David Korteling lawyer to Mrs. Aisha Audu about the document and its obvious falsifications Prince Audu answered, “ The documents was done on my behalf by my personal assistant, all I do is just sign.” When asked by the District Judge for originals of the documents he answered he only has copies and his assistant might have the originals. Responding to the documents marked Exhibit 5, 6, 8, and 9 submitted by Prince Audu, Judge Michael Mason dismissed the documents and said they were unacceptable by the court as they were filled with enormous irregularities, inconsistencies and no proof of originals
Contrary to what he presents to the public and his comical attempt to make believe that his wife was after his properties, Prince Audu contradicted himself when he informed the court yesterday that his wife was a successful business woman that owns a factory in Abuja has companies with interest in Power, energy, oil and gas.
Lawyer to Mrs. Aisha Audu asked serious questions about the credibility of Prince Abubakar Audu, during his cross examination major inconsistencies were uncovered, when asked if he was ever indicted for corruption he denied and also denied ever being arrested nor detained by the EFCC.
In his ruling Judge Michael Mason declared that preponderance on the evidence before him it is declared that Prince Abubakar Audu and Mrs. Aisha Audu were married and thus have a valid Marriage, and also using evidence submitted by Prince Audu it also showed that he had a marriage with one Habiba Audu (Deceased) at that time also. In view of these findings they were said to be involved in polygamy which is not an acceptable form of marriage in the State of Maryland due to that practice the court cannot “Dissolve” the marriage and cannot continue the divorce case. The court also explained that Mrs. Aisha Audu’s brief residency in the State of Maryland was also another factor that was considered in the decision. Prince Audu’s request to have the judge null and void the marriage was also denied.
Furthermore, according to the judge the marriage is valid in Nigeria, and they both remain married until a divorce is obtained through acceptable means in Nigerian law. And for court purposes in the U.S the Maryland court does not recognize polygamy marriage.
Finally, the judge asserts that the Circuit Court in Montgomery County has jurisdiction to determine custody and child support for the children and that part of the case continues.
Meanwhile, an order of the court adjudicating, Prince Abubakar Audu in contempt of court for failure to pay child support order entered against him in a “Pendete lite order on May 17th, 2011 has been requested by his attorney’s to his wife, meanwhile a motion to reconsider yesterday’s judgment is being prepared as at press time by the wife’s counsel.
