Former Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Alison Madueke has filed a petition at the Lagos State High Court seeking to prevent his estranged wife, Diezani Alison-Madueke from using his surname.
The petition aims for a legal declaration towards ending their marriage, and mandates that Diezani revert to her maiden name, Agama.
In the petition for jactitation of marriage, Madueke claims that Diezani’s continued use of his name despite their legal separation is damaging his reputation.
He argued that the association with her name, given the corruption allegations against her, could lead to mistaken liability.
The former Chief of Naval Staff, who previously served as a military governor of Anambra and Imo states, married Diezani on June 30, 1999, under the Marriage Act.
He noted that Diezani filed for divorce in November 2021 at the Nassarawa State High Court in Mararaba Gurku, citing an irretrievable breakdown of their marriage.
Madueke did not contest the suit, resulting in the court’s dissolution of their marriage in April 2022.
“On the 13th day of April 2022, judgment was delivered in Suit No. NSD/MG345/2021 by Hon. Justice A.A. Ozegya dissolving the marriage between the petitioner and the respondent on the ground that the marriage has broken down irretrievably,” Madueke stated in his petition.
He averred that despite the formal termination of their union, Diezani continues to use his surname.
Madueke revealed that he had his legal representatives formally request on December 14, 2023, that Diezani cease using his surname and revert to her maiden name, Agama. However, Diezani has reportedly failed to respond to this legal notice and continues to use his name.
“The respondent has continued to hold out herself as the wife of the petitioner even when the marriage has been dissolved.
“The respondent is undergoing criminal trials in both Nigeria and the United Kingdom. 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,” the petition further read.
Diezani’s ongoing use of his name, Madueke argues, falsely suggests a continuing relationship and poses a significant risk of legal and financial harm.
He is seeking an order of perpetual injunction to restrain Diezani from further using his name and to compel her to revert to her maiden name.
Additionally, Madueke requests that Diezani publicly announce in a national newspaper in both Nigeria and the UK that she has ceased from using his surname.
Diezani Alison-Madueke 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.
She faces allegations of embezzling $2.5 billion from the Nigerian government during her tenure, leading to her arrest and legal proceedings in both Nigeria and the United Kingdom.
