Illegal: Senate BANS Same-Sex Marriage

Yesterday, the Senate unanimously passed a harmonised Conference Committee report banning same-sex marriage in Nigeria in a move that defies Western opposition to Nigeria's handling of the matter.

It will be recalled that the Same-Sex Marriage Prohibition Bill was passed by the Senate on November 29, 2011, and by the House of Representatives on July 2, 2013.
However, some differences were noticed in the two versions passed by the two Chambers. Consequently, a Conference Committee was constituted in the Senate on Tuesday 9 July 2013 to reconcile the areas of differences, which appeared essentially in five clauses of the Bill.

In detail, the Bill passed by the Senate provides:

• a marriage contract or civil union entered into between persons of same sex by virtue of a certificate issued by a foreign country shall be void in Nigeria;
• marriage or civil union entered into between persons of same sex shall not be solemnized in any place of worship either Church or Mosque, or any other place whatsoever called in Nigeria;
• only marriage contracted between a man and a woman either under Islamic Law, Customary Law, or the Marriage Act is recognised as valid in Nigeria;
• persons that entered into a same-sex marriage or civil union contract commit an offence and are jointly liable on conviction to a term of 14 years imprisonment each;
• any persons or group of persons that administers, witnesses, screens, abets and aids the solemnization of a same-sex marriage contract or civil union, or supports the registration, operation of gay clubs, societies and organisations, processions or meetings in Nigeria commits an offence and liable on conviction to a term of 10 years imprisonment.

The Senate President, David Mark urged President Goodluck Jonathan to sign the Bill into law without delay.

"We have been under series of attack from different quarters. I think we believe in this Bill. The earlier we sign it into law, the better. We [Nigeria] have have many shortcomings, we don't want to add this one [same sex marriage] to it."

Leadership