The Legal Battle Resumes: Why Akosua Serwaa Has Returned to Ghana

Akosua Serwaa, the widow of the late Ghanaian music legend Daddy Lumba, has made a significant return to Ghana to challenge a recent High Court ruling regarding her marital status and the late musician's estate. Her arrival marks the next phase in a complex legal and family dispute.

Reason for Return: The Appeal

Ms. Serwaa is in Ghana to formally launch a legal appeal against a Kumasi High Court decision made on November 28, 2025. This ruling effectively denied her claim to be the sole legal wife of Daddy Lumba, a status she argues is based on their civil marriage in Germany in 2004. By appealing, she aims to:

• Establish Sole Spousal Rights: Obtain a declaration that she is the only person legally entitled to perform widowhood rites and be the primary decision-maker for the estate.
• Contest Joint Recognition: Challenge the court's decision to also recognize Priscilla Ofori ("Odo Broni") as a legal spouse under customary law.
• Assert Legal Precedence: Argue that her valid civil marriage, which is monogamous, should take precedence over any customary unions.

Reminder of the Court Ruling (November 2025)

The Kumasi High Court's ruling, delivered by Justice Dorinda Smith Arthur, was a pivotal moment in the dispute. The key points were:

Civil Marriage Proof Denied: 

The court found that Akosua Serwaa failed to provide sufficient proof of a valid civil marriage under German law, as the submitted document was an extract and not an original, certified certificate bearing both signatures.

Customary Marriages Acknowledged:

Consequently, the court classified her union with Lumba as a customary marriage. Under this law, the court ruled that Daddy Lumba had valid customary marriages to both Akosua Serwaa and Priscilla Ofori.

Shared Rights:

The ruling stated that both women should be recognized as surviving wives, with rights to participate in the funeral and widowhood rites.

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Family Control: 

An earlier ruling in October 2025 dismissed Akosua Serwaa's injunction application, affirming that under Ghanaian customary law, the deceased's body and burial rites fall under the authority of the matrilineal extended family.

This comprehensive judgment paved the way for the late musician's family to proceed with funeral arrangements, leading to the funeral rites in December 2025 which Akosua Serwaa did not attend. Her return now signals a renewed effort to challenge the legal framework of this decision in the Court of Appeal