Admiral Alison Madueke, the estranged husband of former Petroleum Resources Minister Diezani Madueke, has initiated legal proceedings to formally end their marriage.
In addition to seeking a divorce, Admiral Madueke has also requested that the Lagos High Court issue an order directing Diezani to cease using his last name, Madueke, and instead revert to her maiden name, Agama, effectively disconnecting her from any further association with his family name.
According to reports, Admiral Madueke’s petition for a declaration that their marriage has ended (jactitation of marriage) states that Diezani’s continued use of his name is harmful to his reputation, given the serious corruption allegations against her.
As they are no longer married, he argues that her use of his name could lead to mistaken identity and unintended consequences, and therefore seeks a court order for her to stop using his name and revert to her maiden name, Agama.
Admiral Madueke, the former military governor of Anambra and Imo states, married Diezani in 1999 under the Marriage Act.
He claims that Diezani initiated divorce proceedings at the Nasarawa State High Court in November 2021, which he did not contest.
However, despite the formal end of their marriage, Diezani has continued to use his name, prompting him to seek legal action to stop her from doing so and to revert to her maiden name, Agama.
The petition reads, “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.
“The said dissolution of marriage has now become absolute by the operation of law.
“Even though the marriage has been dissolved and is now legally finalised, the respondent continues to use the petitioner’s first name (Alison) and surname (Madueke) as her own without any justification or consent from the petitioner.
“It is now more than two years that the respondent continues to use the name of the petitioner to his embarrassment.”
Admiral Madueke revealed that in December 2023, he instructed his lawyers to serve Diezani a formal notice to cease using his name, but she disregarded the request and continued to use it, prompting him to take further legal action to protect his reputation and formally dissociate himself from her.
The petition further read, “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 charge in Nigeria is 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.
The respondent’s continued use of the petitioner’s first and surname falsely suggests to the public a continuing relationship between the parties though same has since legally ended.
“The respondent’s continued use of the petitioner’s first and family names poses a significant risk of legal and financial harm to the petitioner.
As a result, Admiral Madueke has turned to the court for assistance, seeking a legal injunction to prohibit Diezani from continuing to use his first name and surname, in order to protect his good name, reputation, and personal brand from any further association with her actions, which he believes could potentially harm his image and character.
