According to reports by Vanguard, Retired Rear Admiral Alison Madueke has petitioned the Lagos State High Court in Igbosere, urging the court to order his ex-wife and former Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, to stop using his surname.
In the petition for jactitation of marriage (a declaration that the marital union has ended), the former Chief of Naval Staff prayed the court to compel Diezani to revert to her maiden surname of Agama.
Rear Admiral Madueke argued that Diezani's continued use of his name amid corruption allegations against her was damaging to him and could potentially implicate him or result in mistaken liability, especially since they are no longer legally married.
The petitioner stated that he married Diezani on June 30, 1999 under the Marriage Act. He said his wife started gaining recognition in social and political circles due to the marriage, which produced one child.
According to the petition, Diezani began using the name "Alison Madueke" when she became a minister under the Jonathan Administration between 2010 and 2015.
Rear Admiral Madueke said their cohabitation ceased in May 2015 when Diezani left her position as minister and relocated to the United Kingdom, and they have lived apart since then.
The petitioner stated that Diezani sued for dissolution of marriage in November 2021 at the High Court of Nassarawa State sitting in Mararaba Gurku, citing irretrievable breakdown of the union.
He said he did not contest the suit, and the court subsequently ended the marriage.
However, Rear Admiral Madueke told the court that Diezani has continued to use his name despite the marriage being legally dissolved.
He said he instructed his lawyers to write to Diezani to stop using his names and revert to her pre-marital name, but she has neither responded nor ceased using the names.
The petitioner argued that Diezani's persistent portrayal as his spouse is creating embarrassment, a misleading impression, and tarnishing his reputation, integrity, and public image.
He also stated that Diezani is currently facing criminal trials in both Nigeria and the United Kingdom, and her continued use of his name could lead to mistaken liability or even implicate him in her legal issues.
Rear Admiral Madueke sought an order of perpetual injunction restraining Diezani from further using his names and an order directing her to adopt and revert to her pre-marital surname of Agama, as well as to publish in a national newspaper in both Nigeria and the UK that she has stopped using Alison Madueke.