The Kumasi High Court Five has declared both Ms Akosua Serwaa and Ms Priscilla Ofori (Odo Broni), as widows of the late Charles Kojo Fosu (Daddy Lumba).
The court has therefore, ordered the Abusuapanin and family of the highlife legend, to recognize the two women as the widows of the deceased and allow them to perform the widowhood rites for Daddy Lumba.
The court presided by Dorinda Smith Arthur, in her ruling, noted that, the late Daddy Lumba married the two women under the customary law of Ghana and he was intending for peace to remain between the two wives before his demise.
She, cited a video made on the deceased’s 60th birthday celebration last year, which was admitted to court as evidence, where the deceased recognized both women as his wives.
She pointed out that, the verdict was to promote peace and enlighten citizens on some sensitive issues about marriages as the case had generated great interests in Ghana and beyond.
She said the court rejected the document presented to it as the original marriage certificate of the civil marriage between Daddy Lumba and Ms Serwaa, because it was an extract and not an original marriage certificate.
Additionally, the document failed to prove beyond doubt that, the deceased and Ms Serwaa married under the civil law of Germany as it lacked authenticity, certification and identity.
As a result, she ruled out the case filed by Ms Serwaa to seek that the court declared her as the only widow of the deceased and made the judgement on the basis of being married under the customary law of Ghana.
She explained that, a marriage certificate counted in proving that a person was married under the civil or ordinance law, unlike the customary marriage where other factors were considered.
Again, persons who marry under a foreign law must present the certificate to the Ghana embassy in that country to be issued a certificate of the marriage.
This, she noted, Ms Serwaa failed to do to authenticate, certify and give identification of her acclaimed civil marriage certificate under the German law.
The Judge therefore, advised citizens to know the laws of the country so as not to be ignorant about the laws and asked the parties to uphold peace to ensure a befitting burial for the Ghanaian music icon.
Ms Akosua Serwaa on October 16, 2025, filed a suit at the court against the Abusuapanin of Daddy Lumba, Opanin Kofi Owusu and Ms Patricia Ofori, seeking to be allowed to perform the widowhood rite as the only widow of Lumba.
However, the court after hearing the submissions of counsels of all the parties, stated in a 74 page ruling that, both Akosua Serwaa and Odo Broni, are customarily married to Daddy Lumba and therefore, have the right to perform the widowhood rites.
