THE LEGAL IMPLICATION OF PARTIES CONTRACTING STATUTORY MARRIAGE WHILE THEY ARE ALREADY MARRIED UNDER CUSTOMARY MARRIAGE: CONVERTION; CO-EXISTENCE AND ABEYANCE THEORIES.
INTRODUCTION It has become a common practice in Nigeria for parties who intend to contract a statutory marriage to marry first under customary law before the solemnization of the statutory marriage. This practice may be explained by the fact that though Western civilization and culture have permeated Nigerian society, most people, even the most sophisticated understandably regard themselves as bound by the customary law of their place of origin. The Nigerian Marriage Act has given validit...