May, the estranged first wife of famous Nollywood actor Yul Edochie, has finally dragged her husband and his second wife, Judy Austin, to court
The brand and lifestyle influencer was reported to have demanded N100m in damages in her suit against Judy for committing adultery with her husband
May, in her suit, noted that she and Yul married under the 1970 Marriage Act, which indicated that neither a man nor woman can have more than one wife/husband at a time
This might be the most anticipated news within the Nigerian entertainment space as many may say they have been waiting to hear that Yul Edochie’s first wife, May, has finally filed for divorce to leave her husband.
In a post by the Divorce blog that has gone viral on Facebook, DPA Family Law Clinic revealed the details of May Edochie’s lawsuit and why it took so long before she filed for a divorce.
It was also revealed in detail why May considers Yul’s marriage to Judy null because her husband married her under the 1970 marriage act and isn’t allowed to have more than one wife at a time, unlike the customary marriage act. The lengthy post revealed that Yul was recently at his former matrimonial home, which he used to share with May but was denied entry.
The post also shared that Femi Falana’s law firm and Eculaw represent May in court. It is reported that in her lawsuit, May noted that her husband seems to be under some kind of influence and has been unusually aggressive, erratic, irrational and increasingly threatening. She is said to have filed a separate charge against Judy for committing adultery with her husband and has demanded N100m in damages.
YUL EDOCHIE’S SITUATION: UNDERSTANDING THE REALITY OF IT
I have not seen in recent times a case where so much is going on, and yet not much is known to the public despite the intense public interest.
For the avoidance of doubts, May Yul-Edochie filed a divorce petition against Yul. She also filed against Judy as a party cited and she is asking for 100 million naira in damages against Judy for adultery with her husband. Make no mistake about it: Yul and Judy are NOT husband and wife, and cannot be so until Yul and May are divorced. It is a combination of delusion and absurdity for the two to call themselves husband and wife yet.
Both Judy and Yul are aware of the lawsuit, having received copies of the suit papers by email.
Surprisingly, both Yul and Judy are avoiding service of the process upon them. The court bailiff has tried so many times to serve them in accordance with the rules of court. But they have evaded service of court process. Despite the braggadocio and the social media stunts, Yul Edochie and Judy are facing serious legal challenges and they seem ill-prepared for them, given the fact that they have been evading service of process.
In addition to the substantive petition, May also filed for an order of court restraining Yul from accessing their former matrimonial home. That application is based on the fact that there are genuine security and safety concerns. Yul’s behavior has been erratic, irrational, aggressive and increasingly threatening. He seems to have been under some influence, the full extent or scope of which we are yet to ascertain. But measures are being taken to protect May and her children. These measures are proportionate to the threats.
Despite the combination of circumstances at the present time, last weekend, against all advice, Yul attempted to access the home, now occupied alone by May and her children. But he was stopped by the intervention of law enforcement. He was reminded that henceforth all issues involving his marriage to May and dealings in that regard are subjudice. He should consult his lawyer, when and if he hires one, and be guided by such lawyer.
After the event of last weekend, it was not surprising at all to hear that Yul and Judy would be on social media in a commic display where Judy showers Yul with unfettered adulation, calling him Odogwu, the best in Africa and fountain head. It is totally understandable that he would need such extreme ego massage.
As the world can attest by now, May is the sharp opposit of Yul and Judy. She is calm, rational and incredibly stoic. Despite the enormous losses and suffering she has endured lately, she held on to high values of honor and integrity and remains calm and focused in face of turbulence. She has earned the respect and admiration of many good people.
DPA Family Law Clinic remains committed to supporting her through the storm.
NOTE: May is represented in court by Femi Falana’s Firm and Eculaw Group. Our Family Law Clinic plays a support role aside from litigation activities.
MARRIAGE IS MARRIAGE, AND ADULTERY IS ADULTERY
You cannot turn adultery into a marriage just because the adulterous couple call themselves husband and wife. But that is exactly what Yul Edochie and Judy Austin have tried to do. We are surprised that some people would buy into it.
If we allow Yul and Judy to get away with such absurdity, it will amount to us turning everything upside down. Then the term adultery will have no meaning in law.
The fact is that Yul and May elected to marry under the Marriage Act 1970 Laws of Nigeria. The most essential consequence of marrying under that law is that it is a crime to have two wives or two husbands at the same time. Those who want to have two wives DO NOT marry under the Marriage Act. Instead, they marry under customary law. This is a decision everybody makes during his first marriage – to marry under the Marriage Act or under the Customary Law. Once you make your choice, you’re bound by it.
Queen May cannot be forced into a polygamous marriage. That’s what this is all about. She doesn’t want to be forced into a polygamous marriage. What Yul is doing with Judy remains adultery. The relationship between Yul and Judy is purely adulterous. Not wanting to play along with that, May has filed for divorce and she demands for damages against the woman that committed adultery with her husband.
As you can see, May took her time. She did not rush to file for divorce as many would have expected. First, she had to deal with the shock of realizing that her husband had been living a double life for years and had been able to conceal it, using the nature of his work to conceal it. Second, she sensed that her husband could have been under some influence and her primary instinct was to try to save him from such influence. Third, she had to allow time for both families which were all equally shocked to wade into the matter. Fourthly, she had to assess how this whole development would affect their children and she wanted to minimize the shock impact on the children. And unfortunately, she lost her son in the midst of all that. In these circumstances, it was justified for May to take some time before taking a definitive step to end the marriage.
May has shown wisdom, discipline and maturity in handling the situation. She is well coordinated. If there is anybody that has lost his balance, it is Yul. He did so long ago.
Having said that, the challenges the family is going through is enormous. Left for May, she wants a peaceful dissolution of the marriage and she is ready to move on with her life and to remain the best mother she could be. It is quite unfortunate that Yul and Judy, through their unbecoming media stunts, have chosen to constitute public nuisance as their way of making a wrong appear right.
We would have asked the public to allow the family peace and tranquility to deal with their challenges. But we understand how difficult that would be given the fact that Yul and Judy are everywhere trying to attract public attention to their extreme absurdity.
Queen May will remain calm and focused. She remains grateful to God. And she appreciates the continous flow of goodwill from well-wishers.