“Stop Calling Yourself A Second Wife” – Rita Edochie Tells Judy Austin

Nollywood actress Rita Edochie has tackled fellow actress Judy Austin, who is married to her nephew-in-law, Yul Edochie.

Rita Edochie made the statement on her Instagram page on Tuesday morning amid her ongoing legal dispute with Judy Austin.

According to her, a woman should not describe herself as a man’s second wife when his existing statutory marriage has not been legally dissolved.

The actress argued that a man’s family accepting another woman or holding a wedding ceremony with her does not automatically make the relationship a legally recognised marriage if his previous statutory marriage is still valid.

Rita added that separation, disagreements, lack of communication or having children with another woman do not by themselves bring a statutory marriage to an end.

She stressed that a man cannot simply declare that his first marriage is over and legally marry another woman without first obtaining a proper dissolution of the existing marriage.

Rita  Edochie also warned women against relying solely on what a man tells them about the status of his previous marriage.

She wrote; “I MUST ENTER THE AJAH MANSION BY FIRE BY THUNDER….YOU WISH……DESPERATION CAN MAKE YOU IGNORE THE RED FLAG..

STOP CALLING YOURSELF A “SECOND WIFE” WHEN THE MAN HAS NOT LEGALLY DIVORCED HIS FIRST WIFE YOUR FEELINGS , HIS PROMISES , AND YOUR IGNORANCE OF THE LAW DO NOT MAKE AN INVALID MARRIAGE VALID ! .

A MAN WHO HAS CONTRACTED A STATUTORY MARRIAGE CANNOT SIMPLY DECIDE THAT THE MARRIAGE IS OVER AND MOVE ON TO MARRY ANOTHER WOMAN UNDER THE SAME LAW . UNTIL THE FIRST MARRIAGE IS PROPERLY DISSOLVED , IT REMAINS A SUBSISTING MARRIAGE . LIVING APART , FIGHTING , STOPPING COMMUNICATION OR EVEN HAVING CHILDREN WITH ANOTHER WOMAN DOES NOT AUTOMATICALLY END IT .

THIS IS WHERE MANY PEOPLE NEED TO STOP DECEIVING THEMSELVES .

A MAN TELLING YOU THAT “MY FIRST WIFE IS NO LONGER MY WIFE ” DOES NOT MAKE IT A LEGAL FACT .

HIS FAMILY ACCEPTING YOU DOES NOT MAKE IT LEGAL EITHER . EVEN A GRAND WEDDING CEREMONY CANNOT SIMPLY ERASE AN EXISTING STATUTORY MARRIAGE . A MAN’S PROMISE IS NOT A DIVORCE DECREE .

AND PLEASE , DO NOT ARGUE WITH THE LAW USING EMOTIONS . IT DOES NOT MATTER WHO HE LOVES MORE , WHO HE HAS BEEN LIVING WITH , OR WHO HE CLAIMS IS HIS “ REAL WIFE .” THE LAW IS CONCERNED WITH THE LEGAL STATUS OF THE EXISTING MARRIAGE , NOT THE STORY YOU HAVE BEEN TOLD IN PRIVATE .

WHERE THE FIRST STATUTORY MARRIAGE IS STILL SUBSISTING , A SUBSEQUENT STATUTORY MARRIAGE CAN BE VOID AND MAY CARRY SERIOUS LEGAL CONSEQUENCES .

SO BEFORE YOU ACCEPT THE TITLE OF “SECOND WIFE,” ASK THE QUESTION MANY PEOPLE ARE TOO AFRAID TO ASK : HAS THE FIRST MARRIAGE ACTUALLY BEEN DISSOLVED BY LAW ?

AND WHEN PEOPLE START TALKING ABOUT INHERITANCE , BE CAREFUL WITH THE HALF-TRUTHS YOU SEE ONLINE MAKA NDU GI OOOO .

IT IS WRONG TO SIMPLY SAY THAT THE SECOND WOMAN AUTOMATICALLY INHERITS NOTHING WHILE THE FIRST WIFE AUTOMATICALLY INHERITS EVERYTHING . SUCCESSION CAN DEPEND ON A WILL , THE APPLICABLE LAW , OWNERSHIP OF THE PROPERTY , CHILDREN AND OTHER LEGAL CIRCUMSTANCES . INHERITANCE IS NOT A MATTER OF WHO SHOUTS THE LOUDEST ON FACEBOOK .

SO , BEFORE YOU ACCEPT A MAN’S WORD THAT YOU ARE HIS “SECOND WIFE,” FIND OUT WHAT THE LAW”

KanyiDaily recalls that Rita Edochie said she will appear in court to defend herself in the defamation case filed against her by Judy Austin.