He is requesting that the former Petroleum Resources Minister be forced to use her maiden name, Agama, by the court.
This was stated in Madueke’s petition for a declaration of the dissolution of a marriage (jactitation of marriage).
Given the charges of corruption against Diezani, the former Chief of Naval Staff contends that her continued use of his name, even after their marriage was declared officially over, is bad for his reputation and may result in unexpected repercussions, such as mistaken culpability.
Madueke, a former military governor of Anambra and Imo states, married Diezani on June 30, 1999, under the Marriage Act. The petitioner, Madueke, alleges that Diezani had previously filed for divorce at the Nassarawa State High Court in Mararaba Gurku in November 2021, citing an irreconcilable breakdown of their marriage. Despite the court’s dissolution, Diezani continues to use his surname without any justification or consent from the petitioner.
Madueke directed his legal representatives to serve Diezani a formal request on December 14, 2023, demanding that she cease using his surname and revert to her maiden name, Agama. However, Diezani has failed to respond and continues to use his name. The petition further reads, “The respondent has continued to hold out herself as the wife of the petitioner even when the marriage has been dissolved.”
Diezani is undergoing criminal trials in both Nigeria and the United Kingdom, with charges in Nigeria being Suit No. FUC/ABI/CR/208/2010. The respondent faces public allegations of corruption and financial misconduct, for which trials are ongoing for both. The persistent portrayal of the respondent as the spouse of the petitioner is creating embarrassment, a misleading impression, and tarnishing the reputation, integrity, and public image of the petitioner.
Madueke seeks an order of perpetual injunction restraining Diezani from further using his names following the dissolution of their marriage. He also prayed for a perpetual injunction restraining the respondent from further asserting, by words or conduct, the existence of marriage between them.
Diezani has held several significant positions in the Nigerian government, including Minister of Transportation, Minister of Mines and Steel Development, and Minister of Petroleum Resources. She was also the first female President of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, elected in November 2014. Corruption allegations have led to her arrest and legal proceedings in both Nigeria and the United Kingdom.
